Numerical analysis on concrete-filled wide rectangular steel tubular (CFWRST) stub columns under axial compression

The concrete-filled wide rectangular steel tubular (CFWRST) column is attracting more and more attention in engineering practice. The aspect ratio of CFWRST section is normally 2.0-3.0, which exceeds the limitation in existing studies, being less than 2.0. The finite element (FE) analysis has been widely used in investigating behavior of the concrete-filled rectangular steel tubular (CFRST) columns, where many parameters need to be calibrated using test results. This paper presents an investigation on behavior of CFWRST stub columns under axial compression using ABAQUS. On the basis of original constitutive model for confined concrete, the constitutive model for simulating CFWRST stub columns is presented, in which the involved parameters are calibrated using existing test results. The proposed model is verified to be suitable for simulating CFWRST stub columns, and it is considered to be capable of well extending the application range of the original model in CFRST columns with large aspect ratios. Subsequently, a total of 330 CFWRST columns are analyzed to investigate the effects of key factors on the behavior of CFWRST stub columns. Finally, based on the analyses, the limitation of width-to-thickness ratio of steel tube in CFWRST stub columns is presented, and solutions are also proposed for the ultimate axial load of CFWRST columns.