Beam-column behaviour of steel tubes filled with high strength concrete

HELMUTG.L. PRION
Depnrtt~zetztof Civil Etlgitzeeritzg, Tlze Utziversity of British Col~itnbicl,Vntzco~ivet;BC V6T 124, Catzadn
AND
JENS BOEHME
Carr~ftlzersnttd Wallace Ltd., Cotls~rltitzgS t r u c t ~ ~ r aEt~gitzeers,
l Torotzto, ON M4R 2E4, Cntzndn
Received February 23, 1993
Revised manuscript acceptcd August 3 1, 1993

The results of an investigation into the behaviour of thin-walled steel tubes filled with high strength concrete
are presented. The main emphasis is placed on the level of ductility that can be achieved, considering the fact that
neither high strength concrete nor thin steel tubes are individually able to absorb significant amounts of energy
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under cyclic loading. Results of 26 tests on specimens with a diameter of 152 mm and a wall thickness of 1.7 mm,
filled with concrete of characteristic compressive strength ranging between 73 and 92 MPa, are reported. Load
combinations on the specimcns range from pure axial compression, through various combinations of axial load and
bending, to pure bending. Threc spccimens were subjected to cyclic loading. Test results are compared with design
models that are used in current code specifications.
Kev rvods: steel tubes, concrete, composite, beam-column, beam, column, experimental.

Les rCsultats d'une analyse du comportement dc tubes d'acier h paroi mince remplis de bCton de haute rCsistance
sont prCsentCs. Une attention particulikre est accordCe au niveau de ductilitC pouvant &tre obtenu, compte tenu que
ni le bCton de haute rCsistance, ni les tubes d'acier sont en mesure d'absorber individuellement d'importantes quan-
tit& d'Cnergie SOLIS I'effet d'un chargement cyclique. Les rCsultats de 26 essais d'6chantillons d'un diamktre de
152 mm et d'une Cpaisseur de paroi de 1,7 m, remplis de bCton dont la rCsistance h la compression variait entre 73
el 92 MPa, sont prCsentCs. Les combinaisons de charge appliquCes sur les Cchantillons allaient de la compression axiale
pure h la flexion pure, en passant par diverses combinaisons de charge axiale et de flexion. Trois Cchantillons ont Ct6
soumis h des charges cycliques. Les rCsultats d'essai sont cornparks aux modkles de calcul utilis6s dans les codes
For personal use only.

actuellement en vigueur.
Mots cle's : tubes d'acier, bCton, poutre-poteau, composite, poutre, poteau, expCrimental.
[Traduit par la rCdaction]

Can. J. Civ. Eng. 21. ?07-218 (1993)

Introduction
Engineers long ago realized the potential for combining the
tensile capacity of steel with the compressive strength of
concrete in the construction of composite structural members
of exceptionally high load-carrying efficiency. Several con-
struction methods h a v e e v o l v e d , including c o n v e n t i o n a l
reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete members, com-
posite floor systems, a n d c o m p o s i t e c o l u m n s . T h e latter
generally consists of steel m e m b e r s encased in concrete, . ..

which not only efficiently utilize the two materials but also .... t --
produce fire-resistant structural members. After hollow struc-
tural steel sections became more readily available, engineers
realized the advantages of filling these with concrete. The two
components of the member complement each other ideally: t = 1.7 rnrn
While the steel casing confines the concrete laterally, allowing (0.065 in.)
it to develop its optimum compressive strength, the steel is
also laterally supported which, in turn, prevents elastic local
buckling. Circular hollow sections provide a significant
amount of confinement; this effect is negligible in the case
of rectangular sections. Also, the fact that formwork is not
required provides a significant saving in construction cost and
time. T h e disadvantages of this type of construction must FIG. 1. Specimen properties.
be considered a s well, such as the high c o s t of beam-to-
column connections a n d the lack of efficient construction researchers (Breit a n d R o i k 1 9 8 1 ; Dunberry e t al. 1987;
procedures. These problems have been addressed by several Johnson 1975), although minimal guidance is s o far being
provided in design codes. Generally, however, design spec-
NOTE: Written discussion of this paper is welcomed and will be ifications have not dealt with concrete-filled steel members
received by the Editor until August 31, 1994 (address inside in much detail and the regulations are often not applicable
front cover). to members made with high strength concrete (f: > 40 MPa).
Printed in Con:ld.l 1 I~nprirni.;lu Gio;ld;~
 CAN. J . CIV. ENG. VOL. 21, 1994
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STRAIN
FIG.2. Typical stress-strain curve for ( a ) steel and (b) concrete.
For personal use only.
FIG.3. Short column test (Type A).
Within the last decade, much progress has occurred in
developing concrete mixes with strengths up to 140 MPa
(Randall and Foot 1989) and the question arises whether
existing design rules still apply. The increase in stiffness
of the concrete alters the interaction between the two mate-
rials and has unknown effects on the strength and stability
resistance of such members. Also, the trend is to use more
slender steel casings with higher yield stress, F,, since the
possibility of elastic local buckling has been greatly reduced.
The unease of design engineers is understandable when
composite columns and beam-columns are to be used which
have properties that do not fall within the limits, specific
or implied, of current design specifications. Questions arise
pertaining to the reliability of such members to resist con-
sistently high design loads and whether such loads can be sus-
tained through significant excursion of deformations in the
post-ultimate phase. The question of ductility will be dealt
STRAIN (X I0")
FIG.4. Beam test (Type B).
with prominently in this paper, beyond the usual criterion of
load-carrying capacity.
Design codes over the world are not consistent when deal-
ing with concrete-filled hollow steel members. Many codes
do not deal with this type of composite section at all, while
others impose limits on the material strengths and (or) sec-
tion slenderness of the steel casing. This can be perceived as
a reflection of the limited amount of test data available to
enable code writers to propose design rules with confidence.
Of course, different design philosophies exist in different
countries: in allowable stress design rules, safety factors
are applied at the material strength level whereas multipli-
cation factors to the loads and (or) member resistance are
applied in codes based on a limit states philosophy (also
called load and resistance factor design). Also, when test
results are interpreted, some code writers apply a lower
bound criterion to the data points, whereas some use a mean
 TABLE1. Experimental results

Moment (kN.m)
Axial load, P (kN) Load ratios
-Predicted
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Length
Specimen L F ,, f: Predicted Experimental Experimental Pcxp
- Mexp
- Mexp
-
No. Type" (mm)" ( ~ b a ) (MPa) Puc Pehp ~ ~ o Mued Mcxp pu Mu Mu, Remarks

B1 270 73 1490 1550 - - - 1.040 - -

B3 270 73 1490 1458 - - - 0.979 - -

B5 270 73 1490 1548 - - - 1.039 - -

B7 270 73 1490 1448 - - - 0.972 - -

BP9 328 85 1746 1863 - - - 1.067 - -

BPlO 328 85 1746 1895 - - - 1.085 - -

B2 270 75 1525 1458 - - - 0.956 - -

B4 270 75 1525 1548 - - - 1.015 - -

B6 270 75 1525 1548 - - - 1.015 -

B8 270 75 1525 1587 - - - 1.041 - -
For personal use only.

BPI 262 73 1484 - 13.3 - 19.9 - - 1.496

BP2 262 73 1484 - 13.3 - 17.9 - - 1.346
BP3 262 73 1484 - 13.3 - 20.8 - - 1.564
BP4 262 73 1484 - 13.3 - 19.0 - - 1.429
BP16 328 92 1867 - 16.5 - 21.0 - - 1.270
BPll 328 92 1867 470 16.5 30.3 29.7 0.252 0.981 1.796
BP12 328 92 1867 570 16.5 30.9 32.1 0.305 1.039 1.941
BP13 328 92 1867 670 16.5 30.9 28.5 0.359 0.921 1.723
BP14 328 92 1867 820 16.5 30.1 29.2 0.439 0.970 1.765
BP 15 328 92 1867 970 16.5 27.7 30.5 0.520 1.101 1.848
BP17 328 92 1867 '270 16.5 26.7 30.1 0.145 1.127 1.820
BPI8 328 92 1867 270 16.5 26.7 30.8 0.145 1.153 1.862
BP19 328 92 1867 670 16.5 30.9 34.8 0.359 1.125 2.104
BP20 328 92 1867 1273 16.5 20.1 2 1.4" 0.682 1.063 1.294 e = 15 mm"
BP2 1 328 92 1867 1451 16.5 14.7 13.Ss 0.777 0.940 0.834 e = 12 mm"
BP22 328 92 1867 1309 16.5 19.1 15.9S 0.701 0.834 0.961 e = 11 mm"
"Al, loading of whole cross section; A2, loading of concrete only; B I , pure moment (n~onotonic);B2, pure moment (cyclic); C I , beam-column tests (monotonic); C2, beam-col-
umn tests (cyclic); D, eccentrically loaded columns.
"L is the length between inflection points for types C and D.
+
"P,, = A f : A,F,; specimens B2, B4, B6, and B8, although only concrete loaded, still used A f + A,F,,
"M,,, is the momeht capacity from compatible strain model, no axial load.
' M , is the moment capacity from compatible strain model, taking axial load into consideration.
/1, is the distance between applied point loads.
"Calculated from strain readings.
"~nitialeccentricity calculated from strain readings.
 C A N . J. CIV. ENG. VOL. 21. 1994
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I 2120 rnrn I
FIG.5. Beam-column test layout (Type C).

P value to calibrate load and resistance factors. Depending

For personal use only.

on the scatter of test results, these two approaches can

deliver different values of the reliability index.
Previous research on hollow structural sections filled with
normal strength concrete ( f : < 40 MPa) has paved the way for
further developments, especially in the case of circular sections,
where considerable strength can potentially be gained from tri-
axial confinement of the concrete. The interaction between
the concrete core and the steel casing has been investigated
379 rnrn
since 1957 (KIBpper and Goder), while Knowles and Park
(1969, 1970), Neogi et al. (1969), Chen (1972), Chen and
Chen (1973), and Chen and Atsuta (1976) specifically
initial eccentricity addressed the relationship between slenderness and confine-
ment. Since the concrete has to reach about 95% of its com-
pressive strength before the confinement is activated, only
stocky columns typically achieve this state before overall
buckling dictates the ultimate strength. Such an increase in
compressive strength was observed experimentally as the
slenderness ratio of the column was decreased, but no con-
sensus has been reached to define a limiting slenderness ratio.
instrumentation collar To achieve full confinement, the steel is best utilized in the
circumferential direction and should preferably not be loaded
longitudinally (Knowles and Park 1969). In practice, however,
this is very difficult to achieve, since bond stresses and fric-
tional forces between the concrete and the steel cause longi-
tudinal straining of the steel, thereby reducing the yield
strength in both the circumferential and longitudinal directions
379 mm (Furlong 1968; Virdi and Dowling 1980). This was demon-
strated in tests by Gardner and Jacobsen (1967), which have
shown no increase in strength when only the concrete was
loaded, compared to full load application to the concrete
and steel.
Consequently, most equations for the ultimate load of
coinposite sections assume that the component materials act
independently. Knowles and Park (1969, 1970) and Toinii
et al. (1977) assumed that the steel and the concrete interact
FIG. 6. Eccentrically located column test layout (Type D). by adding ductility and stability to the column, but collec-
 PRION A N D BOEHME
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strains
stresses 4 stresses
FIG.7. Compatible strain model.
For personal use only.

stress' block

CONCRETE
SECTION concrete stresses

FIG.8. Superposition model.

tively do not add strength to the column beyond their indi-
vidual contributions. The axial strength of the column is
modelled by using a summed tangent modulus approach,
which assumes the steel to reach full yield before buckling,
due to the lateral support of the concrete. The ultimate
strength is thus the sum of the steel and concrete strengths,
ignoring both the triaxial effects and bond.
P,, = F y A s + f ',A,
For longer columns, overall buckling will occur before the
concrete can expand sufficiently to result in any noticeable
confinement effect, and tangent modulus equations are found
to be adequate. Although lateral displacement compatibility
should be maintained, any increase in stiffness due to bond
strength is typically ignored.
To address some of the concerns and extend the existing
knowledge to more slender steel tubes filled with high
strength concrete, an experilnental program was initiated,
which employs steel tubes with a diameter-to-thickness ratio
(D/t) of 92 and yield stress, F,, of 262-328 MPa, filled with
concrete of characteristic strength, f:,of 73-92 MPa (Boehme
1988, 1989; Tidy 1988). A full range of load combinations
(axial load versus moment) was applied to characterize the
load capacities and load-deformation behaviour up to and
beyond ultimate.
Experimental program
The aim of the experimental study was not only to deter-
mine the maximum load capacity of the specimens but also
to establish the behavioural pattern up to and beyond ultimate
load. To maintain a means of direct comparison, all the
specimens had the same cross-sectional properties (see
Fig. 1). Variations in the material properties necessitated
the norinalization of test results with respect to predicted
 2 12 CAN. 1. CIV. ENG. VOL. 21, 1994
Failure Mode
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FIG.9. Short column failure mode and model.
capacities using familiar strength equations. The steel sections
were standard 152 X 1.65 mm ( 6 X 0.065 in.) tubes of
250-330 MPa (36-48 ksi) steel with electric resistance
welded longitudinal seams. The concrete for specimens
types A and B (see Table 1) was mixed in the laboratory
For personal use only.
while that for specimens types C and D was purchased from
a commercial concrete supplier. Typical stress-strain curves
of steel coupon tests and concrete cylinder tests are shown
in Fig. 2. The steel yield stress, F.,,, that was used in cal-
culations is the static coupon yiel% stress, obtained when
holding the strain in the test coupon at a constant level
while allowing relaxation of fibre stresses to occur. The
concrete cylinders (152 mm in diameter and 305 mm long)
were tested in a "stiff' testing machine which normally per-
mits a controlled unloading of the test specimen. The high
strength and brittle nature of the concrete resulted in a rather
abrupt failure as is reflected in the stress-strain curves
(Fig. 2). No mechanical shear connection was provided
between the concrete and the steel. In fact, shrinkage of the
concrete resulted in a loss of the bond in some specimens
before they were tested.
The experimental program consisted of four phases which
are described below and are designated as types A, B, C,
and D.
Type A: short col~~rnn test
Ten specimens with lengths between 500 and 900 mm
were tested under concentric axial load (See Fig. 3). Load
arrangements and specimen lengths were chosen to observe
the effect of confinement on the concrete, which appears
to be most noticeable in columns of a slenderness ratio,
LID, less than 15. The compressive capacity is believed to
depend on this slenderness, the D/t ratio, and the method
of load application. It is usually preferred to avoid axial
stresses in the steel tube which would reduce its capacity to
provide lateral confinement to the concrete. In reality, how-
ever, friction and chemical bond between the steel and the
concrete provide a load transfer mechanism from the concrete
into the stiffer steel tube. Some specimens were thus tested
by applying the load on the steel and the concrete simulta-
neously (Type A l ) , while others had the load applied to the
concrete only by using loading plates that fitted within the
tube's inner diameter (Type A2). Electronic displacement
transducers were attached to the specimens to measure lon-
gitudinal shortening and changes of the specimen diameter
across two perpendicular axes. Strain gauges were applied to
t h e steel tube in the longitudinal a n d circumferential
directions.
Type B: beam tests
Four specimens of 1100 mm length were tested in a beam
configuration (Type B 1, see Fig. 4). The bending moment was
induced by applying two point loads as shown, resulting in
a constant moment region in the centre. The distance between
the point loads was varied between 600 and 0 mm (single
point load) to examine the effect of shear on the bending
capacity of the tubes. The ends of the specimens were left
uncapped to allow slippage between the concrete and the
steel tube. This was believed to be the worst case, although
it might be deemed as being too unfavourable. Displacement
transducers were used to measure the relative movement
between the concrete and the steel and the vertical displace-
ment at the centre of the beam. Strain gauges were applied
to the steel tube at the centre to measure longitudinal and
circumferential strains.
One specimen with effective span length of 2120 mm was
tested in the beam-column test apparatus (Fig. 5) but without
the axial load (Type B2). The load was cycled at a ductility
level of approximately two to three times the yield defor-
mation until failure occurred. This was accomplished by
loading and unloading the specimen in one orientation, then
rotating the specimen about its longitudinal axis by 180"
and repeating the loading sequence.
T ~ y eC: becrnz-column tests
Various combinations of axial load and bending moment
were applied to eight specimens of 2120 mm effective length
(Fig. 5). The axial load was first introduced by a hydraulic
actuator through pinned ends. While the axial load was
maintained at the predetermined level, two equal lateral
forces, under displacement control, were applied which
resulted in a constant first-order moment in the test region.
Six specimens were tested monotonically to failure (Type C I )
and two were subjected to cyclic loads (Type C2). For the
latter, loading cycled at a level of two to three times the
yield deformation until failure was achieved under increasing
load after 472 cycles.
Displacement transducers measured longitudinal strains
over the test region at the top and the bottom of the speci-
men; vertical displacements at the pins, the load application
points, and the centre of the specimens; and the overall
shortening of the specimens. Strain gauges determined lon-
gitudinal and circumferential strains at the centre of the
specimens. An attempt was made to determine the friction
moment introduced at the pins by relating the longitudinal
strains in the test region to the vertical loads in a pure
moment case. In tests involving axial and bending loads
combined, the longitudinal strains, in turn, were used as a
measure to determine the applied moment in the test region.
The pin friction moments were the only unknowns in the
moment equilibrium equation, and could be determined to a
reasonable accuracy. Some compensation was made in the
reported results to account for the friction moments. Since
this restraining moment was relatively small, however, even
a large error in its determination would have an insignificant
 PRION A N D BOEHME

0.4-

i
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0.2-

0 I I

0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06

AVERAGE AXIAL STRAIN
FIG.10.Short column load-strain curve (Type A).

buckling
For personal use only.

. . . .
slip

rupture

-flever arm
I

friction
k
w
FIG.1 1 . Beam specimen failure mode.

effect on the overall moment. The vertical loads were applied
through rubber-lined collars which permitted some distortion
of the cross section with minimal restraint.
Type D: eccentrically loaded columns
Since only moderate axial loads could be applied in the
beam-column apparatus, three specimens were loaded with
an eccentric axial load in a universal testing frame with low
friction spherical bearings attached (Fig. 6). The effective
length between inflection points was 1071 mm and the initial
eccentricity varied between 11 and 15 mrn. For the purpose
of calculating moments, which depended on the instantaneous
eccentricity of the load, the lateral position of the specimen
as well as strain readings on the tube surface were used.
Analytical load predictions
Design codes typically use interaction equations for mem-
ber strength which are based on the assumption of full bond-
ing between the concrete and the steel. This is the basis for
the familiar model that requires strain compatibility and
shear deformations, that is, plane sections remain plane
throughout deformation (see Fig. 7). Some variations to the
assumed simplified concrete stress block are in usage, while
the steel tube is typically expected to carry the full plastic
moment. For the purpose of comparison in this study, a
variable stress block according to the Hognestad equation
was implemented in a computer program PLANE (Collins
and Mitchell 1987), which numerically integrates the stresses
 214 C A N . J. CIV. ENG. VOL. 21, 1994
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CURVATURE (radlkm)
FIG. 13. Beam moment-curvature graphs (Type B 1 ).
to obtain the moment resistance for a given axial load.
Increases in concrete strength resulting from confinement
by the steel tube were neglected.
The Japanese code (Beedle et al. 1989), which is based
on allowable stress design, also has an ultimate strength
provision for earthquake design that is based on the so-
called superposition model (Chen and Atsuta 1976) (see
Fig. 8). No strain compatibility is assumed as the stress
For personal use only.
resultants of the steel and concrete sections are calculated
independently and then added to obtain the total capacity
of the section. The neutral axes are not required to be coin-
cidental, which leaves the designer some freedom to assign
varying portions of axial load and moment to the concrete
and the steel. This results in a band of possible combinations
of axial load and moment at ultimate (see Fig. 17). T h e
optimum capacity is achieved when no axial load is assigned
to the steel section, which leaves it to contribute more to
the moment resistance. The equations that are used in the
Japanese code are as follows:
C, = 0.25(0.85f',)~'(a - sin a cos a)
This approach, although unconventional, has considerable
appeal, especially in light of the fact that the bond between
the concrete and the steel tube is, at best, questionable.
Experimental results and specimen behaviour
All the test specimens behaved in a relatively ductile man-
ner and testing proceeded in a smooth and controlled way. The
test results are summarized in Table 1, which indicates that,
with the exception of the eccentrically loaded columns (Type
D), predicted strength capacities were achieved. Each type of
test had its special features which will be described indi-
vidually below. As expected from the stress-strain diagrams
(Fig. 2), the concrete behaved in a brittle manner, resulting
in sharp, clean fracture surfaces, intersecting the aggregate.
7Lpe A
The short columns all failed within approximately 5% of
the predicted load capacities. A shear failure in the concrete
resulted in a relatively abrupt decline in load-carrying capac-
ity. As the concrete wedges (see Fig. 9) slid past each other,
the steel shell was fully activated as a circumferential tension
band, resulting in a ductile failure mode at this secondary
load level. The simplified model in Fig. 9 can be used to
predict the sustained axial capacity of a failed column by
introducing a friction coefficient of approximately 1.0
between the concrete surfaces. For these particular specimens
with a relatively low percentage of steel, the sustained load
was approximately 60% of the ultimate experimental load.
No apreciable difference in load-carrying capacity was
detected between long and short specimens and between
types A1 (steel and concrete loaded) and A2 (concrete only
loaded). Plots of axial load versus specimen shortening are
shown in Fig. 10.
TYPE B
The beam specimens all failed in a very ductile manner. The
failure always occurred at the loading points and had the
appearance of a concrete shear fracture followed by stretching
and subsequent rupture of the steel casing. Buckling of the
steel casing in the compression region was observed at ulti-
mate. No definite trend in moment capacity could be detected
from tests that had the point loads at different spacings, that
is, varying proportions of shear versus moment. Significant
slippage occurred between the steel and the concrete which
was in the order of 1-2 mm at ultimate (10-13 inm at failure)
at each end. This, however, did not seem to lower the moment
capacity of the specimens. It would have a significant effect
on the bending stiffness of the member, however. A simpli-
fied model is shown in Fig. 11, which describes the failure
mode and how the materials act in cooperation to resist the
applied moment. Plots of the moment at the failure location
versus average curvature in the test region are shown in Fig.
12. Only central deflections were measured, and these were
converted to curvatures using elastic relationships to allow
direct comparison with the beam-column tests where curva-
ture was measured directly. Specimen BP16 (Type B2) sus-
tained 4'12 cycles of bending, each extending to about two
to three times the yield deformation after which it was loaded
to failure (Fig. 13). Although a slight decrease in strength
was observed with every subsequent cycle, a significant
amount of energy was dispersed.
TYPE C
The beam-column specimens all failed in the centre by
rupture of the steel casing in the tension zone after sub-
stantial cracking of the concrete and buckling of the steel in
the compression zone. The second-order moments resulting
from the axial load, acting about the displaced section cen-
troid, constituted about 20% of the total moment at ultimate.
Beyond ultimate, the vertical loads, which were introduced
by a displacement-controlled actuator, decreased to zero,
and the total moment was due to second-order effects.
Moment-curvature plots for varying axial load levels are
shown in Fig. 15. The significant increase in moment capacity
in the presence of an axial load results from the activation
of a mostly underutilized concrete compression region
(Fig. 14). What is more significant, however, is that in the
post-ultimate phase, the moment capacity decreased to a
cominon level approaching that of the pure moment case
 PRlON A N D BOEHME

25

20

15 cracking moment

-E 10

-5z
I-
0

g -5
0
-10
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-15

-20

-25 1 I I I
I
I I
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150
CURVATURE (rad/km)
FIG. 13. Hysteretic behaviour of beam specimen (Type B2).
For personal use only.

FIG. 14. Bean-column specimen failure mode.

(BP16). This specimen was tested under cyclic load and
only the first branch of its hysteresis curve is shown.
The cyclic tests demonstrated good ductility of the mem-
bers (Fig. 16). A slight pinching effect was observed, how-
ever, which can be attributed to the opening and closing of
concrete cracks while the relatively thin steel tube was yield-
ing and buckling. A slight deterioration of the moment
capacity suggests that the confinement of the concrete was
partially lost after the first cycle. Tension fracture of the
steel tube occurred when the specimens were loaded to
failure after 4'12 cycles.
Type D
The eccentrically loaded columns did not exhibit the duc-
tile behaviour as observed in the beam-column specimens, but
failed rather abruptly when lateral buckling occurred.
Experimental loads did not achieve those predicted by the
superposition model or the compatible strain model (Fig. 17),
which suggests that the brittle nature of the high strength
concrete and the lack of proper confinement contributed to
the premature and non-ductile failure. Because of the dif-
ficulty in maintaining the proper eccentricities in the test
arrangement, moments and eccentricities were calculated
from strain gauge readings, assuming linear elastic behaviour.
Based on the near-elastic load-deflection curves, this was
deemed to be a reasonable assumption. Although great care
was taken to consider all sources of error, it should be kept
 CAN. J . CIV. ENG. VOL. ? I , 1994

P=470 kN (BPI I )
P=670 kN (BP13)
P = 820 kN (BP14)
p=O kN (BP16)
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C U R V A T U R E (rad/krn)

FIG. 15. Moment-curvature responses of beam-column specimens (Type C l ) .

For personal use only.

I
-40 1 , I
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150
C U R V A T U R E (rad/km)

FIG. 16. Hysteretic behaviour of beam-column specimen (Type C2).

in mind, however, that such calculations are very sensitive
to local effects.
Conclusions
Test results have shown that the behaviour of thin steel
tubes filled with high strength concrete can be described
by two distinctly different models. With the exception of
beam-columns with high axial load, the ultimate strength
is reasonably well modelled using strain compatibility while
the post-ultimate strength is best described by a rational
model which treats the steel and concrete components as
separate elements. The superposition model as used in the
Japanese code for earthquake resistant design proved to be
unconservative, which can be attributed to the fact that a
thin steel tube does not provide sufficient confinement to
develop the full plastic capacity of the concrete. Because
of local buckling of the tube wall, the plastic moment capac-
ity of the steel section could not be developed as required.
It was also shown that the failure mechanism in short
concentrically loaded columns is a shear failure of the con-
crete, rather than lateral plastic expansion of the concrete
core. This is important in that it changes the ultimate and
post-ultimate load-carrying capacities of the section signif-
icantly. For these specimens and the beam-column specimens
with high axial load-to-moment ratios, a sudden decline in
load-carrying capacity beyond ultimate was observed. This
 PRlON AND BOEHME
superposition model Cs = Py
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NORMALIZED MOMENT, Mexp/Muo
FIG. 17. Axial load and bending moment interaction.
For personal use only.
is a concern, especially when these members are designated
for earthquake conditions where some damage is expected
and the post-ultimate strength is of importance. The reduced
capacity should be used for such applications. On a positive
note, the remarkable ductility of such members at the sus-
tained load level is a most desirable feature which should not
be overlooked.
The exceptionally ductile behaviour of members with a
significant moment component is a very important advantage
of composite beam-columns. The concrete core was found to
contribute significantly to the moment capacity of the mem-
bers, especially in light of the extreme section slenderness of
the steel tubing.
The eccentrically loaded columns did not compare as well
with the analytical predictions of ultimate load. This can
be attributed to imperfections such as out-of-straightness
and end effects which have a more detrimental effect on
members with higher slenderness ratios.
Cyclic loading of the beam-column specimens revealed
a favourable hysteresis behaviour. A small amount of "pinch-
ing" was observed accompanied by cracking of the concrete
which resulted in a deterioration of the moment capacity.
Fracture of the steel tube occurred at longitudinal strains
of approximately 20 times the yield strain.
In general, it can be said that thin-walled steel tubes filled
with high strength concrete can successfully be applied
where high strength is required and ductility in the post-
ultimate phase is of importance.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support
of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada as well as the provision of technical support and
infrastructure by t h e Department of Civil Engineering,
University of Toronto.
0 Boehme, 1989
V Boehme, 1988
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95(ST12): 2565-2587. f:. concrete compressive cylinder strength
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Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. P axial load

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List of symbols
A, concrete cross-sectional area
A, steel cross-sectional area
For personal use only.