Abstract:
Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) hybrid column is a composite member that incorporates reinforced concrete (RC) web plates at the bottom of the column and circular hollow steel tube (CHS) battens at the upper segments to connect the column limbs. To assess its seismic performance, quasi-static tests were conducted on 6 CFST hybrid column specimens with height coefficient of the RC web (the ratio of web height to column height) and longitudinal spacing of the column limbs as variables. The results indicate that the CFST hybrid column exhibits good seismic performance under low-cycle repeated loads and the load-displacement hysteresis curves display a complete shuttle shape. The primary failure modes are shear failure in the lattice section, local bulging deformation of the steel tube in the plastic hinge area of the column limb, and cracking and spalling of concrete in the stiffness transition section at the top of the RC web. When the height coefficient of the RC web is altered from 0.0 to 0.3, the plastic hinge area shifts from the bottom section to the top of the RC web, resulting in a 53% increase in elastic stiffness, a 31% increase in horizontal peak load, and a slightly 5% increase in ultimate displacement ductility coefficient. When the height coefficient is changed from 0.3 to 0.7, the plastic hinge area remains at the top of the RC web, causing a significantly 172% increase in elastic stiffness and a 98% increase in horizontal peak load, as well as a marked increase in cumulative hysteretic energy dissipation under the same displacement. However, the ultimate displacement ductility coefficient decreases by about 16%. Reducing the longitudinal spacing of the column limbs from 650 mm to 250 mm causes the plastic hinge area to transfer from the top of the RC web to the bottom section, resulting in a change in failure mode to overall buckling failure, a 67% reduction in elastic stiffness and a 47% reduction in horizontal peak load. Based on the structural mechanical characteristics, a calculation method for the horizontal bearing capacity of the CFST hybrid column was proposed, and the calculated values were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.