Experimental investigation of thin-walled complex section concrete-filled steel stub columns

An innovative X section with intermediate stiffeners of thin-walled concrete-filled steel stub was proposed in this study. The X section was firstly brake-pressed from structural steel sheets to form three edges open section with intermediate stiffener in each edge, then a plate with intermediate stiffener was welded to the open section to form the closed section. The intermediate stiffener was designed to enhance the local buckling stress of the thin-walled specimens. Stub column tests of both hollow steel tubes and concrete-filled steel tubes were performed. Material properties of the self-compacting concrete and steel used in the test specimens were also measured. Design methods specified in current design standard and proposed by other researchers are used to predict the design strengths of test specimens. It is shown that the predicted design strengths are conservative. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.