Seismic performance of square, thin-walled steel tube/bamboo plywood composite hollow columns with binding bars

A thin-walled steel tube/bamboo plywood composite hollow column with binding bars (SBCCB) was developed using transverse binding bars to reinforce a thin-walled steel tube and bamboo plywood composite hollow column. Low reversed cyclic loading tests were performed on 9 SBCCB specimens to observe the damage process and morphology in the SBCCBs. The effects of the slenderness ratio, the net cross-sectional area of the bamboo plywood, the assembly patterns of the cross sections, and the binding bars on the stress and seismic performance were investigated. The results show that the main failure modes of the SBCCBs were cracking of different adhesion interfaces at the base of the column and fracturing of the bamboo plywood. The cross-sectional assembly pattern has a significant effect on the failure modes; increasing the cross-sectional area and the slenderness ratio of the composite column will dramatically improve the seismic performance of the SBCCBs. SBCCBs have excellent elastic deformation and seismic energy consumption characteristics. The binding bars ensure the integrity of the specimen and inhibit the failure of the adhesion interface at the base of the column. Finally, based on the measurement of the axial pressure and the stress-strain curve within elastic range of the composite columns, a simplified mechanical model and a calculation method for bearing capacity was formulated. The calculation values of bearing capacity agree well with the experimental ones, and calculation method can be used to provide guidance for engineering applications of a SBCCB.