Shape effect on the behaviour of axially loaded concrete filled steel tubular stub columns at elevated temperature

Concrete filled steel tubular columns have been extensively used in modern construction owing to that they utilise the most favourable properties of both constituent materials. It has been recognized that concrete filled tubular columns provide excellent structural properties such as high load bearing capacity, ductility, large energy-absorption capacity and good structural fire behaviour. This paper presents the structural fire behaviour of a series of concrete filled steel tubular stub columns with four typical column sectional shapes in standard fire. The selected concrete filled steel tube stub columns are divided into three groups by equal section strength at ambient temperature, equal steel cross sectional areas and equal concrete core cross sectional areas. The temperature distribution, critical temperature and fire exposing time etc. of selected composite columns are extracted by numerical simulations using commercial FE package ABAQUS. Based on the analysis and comparison of typical parameters, the effect of column sectional shapes on member temperature distribution and structural fire behaviour are discussed. It shows concrete steel tubular column with circular section possesses the best structural fire behaviour, followed by columns with elliptical, square and rectangular sections. Based on this research study, a simplified equation for the design of concrete filled columns at elevated temperature is proposed.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Effect of sectional shape to structural behaviour of concrete filled steel tubular stub columns in standard fire. ► Fire behaviour of concrete filled elliptical hollow section columns. ► Finite element models for concrete filled tube columns in fire. ► New proposed equation for evaluated axial capacity of CFST columns at elevated temperature.