Cyclic testing on prefabricated joints for steel beam to concrete-filled steel tubular column

Prefabricated structures have recently been employed in building construction with their better operability, high quality and environmental friendliness. This paper investigates the cyclic behaviour of an innovative joints for steel beam to concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) column. In the proposed joints, the steel elements were prefabricated and assembled on construction site, and the CFST columns were connected by using transfer sleeves and steel bars. Four half-scale specimens were examined with varying parameters, including the thickness of the steel tube (6 or 9 mm), the sleeve distance (125 or 63 mm), and the joint type (exterior or interior). Cyclic testing was conducted on the specimens with the focus on investigating their failure modes, cyclic behaviour, stiffness degradation, strength degradation, energy dissipation capacity and strain distribution. The experimental results indicated that the deformations were concentrated at the transfer sleeve regions. The use of thicker steel tube and wider sleeve distance significantly improved the strength and energy dissipation of the examined joints. The exterior joint types also showed more serious asymmetry in the hysteresis curve than the interior joints.