Effect of imperfection on behaviour of axial loaded square and rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular columns

Axial compressive strength of Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) columns is significantly improved owing to lateral confinement and the interaction between steel tube and concrete core. Occasionally there exists an initial gap between the concrete core and steel tube which may occur due to improper compaction, shrinkage in concrete, lack of curing of concrete core, etc., consequently, the compressive strength of the column is reduced. Present study shows that the presence of a gap between the concrete core and steel tube reduces the axial strength of CFST column to some extent; however, it results in an enormous fall in the ductility of column. A total of 22 specimens, including 2 hollow steel tube subjected to axial compressive loading, were tested. The main parameters of these tests were the circumferential gap. The influence of gap on the failure mode and ultimate strength of the CFST specimens were investigated. The results show close agreement between calculated and experimental results in terms of load-deformation response and ultimate strength. The behavior of CFST columns with a gap is analyzed, to investigate the impact of different parameters on ultimate strength. A maximum limit of 1.4 to 5.9 gap ratio is proposed, and a simplified formula is suggested to estimate the effect of a gap on ultimate strength.