Experimental Investigation of Steel/Concrete Composite Columns

Steel columns filled with concrete, so called CFST columns are kind of mega composite columns that poses greater mechanical and daynamic behavior. In recent years, due to this enhanced behavior, more and more are being used specially in tall structures. They also result in more cost effective and easy to construct structures. In order to study these columns, an experimental program was lunched to provide detailed properties. In doing so, 12 specimens with different cross sectional geometry and D/t ratios with a 1/3 scale were constructed and tested. Testing was performed under cyclic dynamic manner using actuators. It was obseved that, both mechanical and cyclic behavior of CFST colums were enhanced while some cross sectional shapes behavied even better meaning acoordingly, circular, ortagonal and squared. Also, it was resulted that much ductility was introduced to the columns when they were used as CFST columns. The set up and experimental program as well as test results are provided in this paper. Conclusions and comparisons are also provided in this paper in the forms of cyclic graphs.