Investigation on concrete filled double skin steel tubes (CFDSTs) under pure torsion

• Tests on CFDST members subjected to pure torsion
• Finite element simulation of behavior of CFDST members subjected to pure torsion
• Simplified model of torsional capacities of CFDST members subjected to pure torsion

This paper presents a series of tests on concrete filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) members subjected to pure torsion. Two types of combinations are included, i.e., CFDST section with circular hollow section (CHS) as both inner and outer tubes, and section with CHS as the inner tube and square hollow section (SHS) as the outer tube. Finite element method was used to analyze typical failure mode and complete torque–rotation curve of the specimens, as well as interaction between the steel tubes and the sandwiched concrete of CFDSTs. It was found that the results calculated by finite element method show reasonable agreement with those of the test results. Six important parameters influencing the torque versus torsional rotation curves are identified, i.e. nominal steel ratio, yield strength of outer steel tubes and inner steel tubes, concrete cube compressive strength, width to thickness ratio of inner steel tubes and hollow section ratio. Finally, design formulas are proposed for calculating torsional capacities of CFDSTs.