Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
Volume 2018 (2018), Article ID 8038649, 11 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8038649

Research Article

Comparative Study on the Axial Compression and Bearing Capacity of Reactive Powder Concrete-Filled Circular Steel Tube

Mingyang Chen and Xiaomeng Hou

Department of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China

Correspondence should be addressed to Mingyang Chen; chenmy08@163.com

Received 29 May 2018; Accepted 4 December 2018; Published 19 December 2018

Guest Editor: Munir Nazzal

Copyright © 2018 Mingyang Chen and Xiaomeng Hou. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract.

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) was confined by the circular steel tube to obtain the required ductility. The axial compression test results of 139 columns from different scholars were collated and compared to study the axial compression and bearing capacity of a reactive powder concrete-filled circular steel tube, of which the confining coefficient is 0.057–2.312 and the RPC strength is 76.6–178.2 MPa. Load-displacement curves have been categorized into four stages: (1) elastic; (2) elastic-plastic; (3) descending; and (4) strengthening. The failure mode can be divided into three types according to the different confining coefficients as (1) wall buckling; (2) diagonal shear; and (3) drum-shaped. The confining coefficient, core RPC strength, steel fiber volume, steel tube D/t ratio, and loading mode on the ultimate bearing capacity were analyzed. The results showed the confining coefficient to be the main factor affecting ultimate bearing capacity. The equation for determining ultimate bearing capacity was established based on the limit equilibrium theory, with the lateral confining coefficient of RPC (k) determined to be 2.86, less than that of normal concrete at 4.1. Based on the experimental analysis results and China’s “Design and Construction Code for Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Structure” (CECS 28-2012), the design proposal for an RPC-filled steel tube was recommended.

1. Overview of Experiments

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is the direction for further development of high-strength concrete (HSC) and ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC), with a relatively new type of cement-based composite material successfully developed by Richard in 1993, which has ultrahigh strength, good volume stability, and excellent durability [1, 2]. The science behind the development of RPC is mature, and many studies have focused on its mechanical properties for further broad application in engineering [3–5]. However, RPC is very dense and uniform since it does not contain coarse aggregate; therefore, the pinning effect provided by coarse aggregates in normal concrete (NC) is weakened or even absent in RPC, and most RPCs are “explosive” and are destroyed by top-down longitudinal splitting after compression [5]. Measures to decrease brittleness and increase ductility of RPC are used for structures with ductile seismic performance requirements. RPC has been used in concrete-filled steel tubes (RPCFTs) [6]. The steel tube restrains transverse deformation of the core RPC to allow the superior compressive performance of RPC to be fully utilized and its ductility to meet the requirements of the column design. The successful application of steel tube RPC in the construction of the Sherbrooke Bridge, Quebec, Canada, demonstrated its superior mechanical properties and economic benefits [7]. Although both RPC and NC are cement-based composite materials, their water/binder ratios, composition of raw materials, and mechanical properties differ considerably [8]. Therefore, the theory and method for calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of CFT cannot be directly applied to RPCFT.

The present study aimed at analyzing the axial compressive mechanical behavior and ultimate bearing capacity of RPCFTs. Many studies have focused on the experimental determination of the axial compression performance and ultimate bearing capacity of RPCFTs. The present study collated the experimental results of past studies on the axial compression performance of 139 RPCFTs during 2003 to 2016, including Meng Shiqiang [8], Zhang Jing [9], Yang Wusheng [10], Wu Yanhai [11], Feng Jianwen [12], Yan Zhigang [13], Luo Hua [14], Yang Guojing [15], and Jian Wei [16]. Among the studies, tube diameter, wall thickness, and strength varying between 102 mm and 273 mm, 1 mm and 12 mm, and 210 MPa and 425 MPa, respectively, were considered to cause variation of the steel tube confining coefficient () in the range of 0.057–2.312. RPC strengths in the range of 76.6 MPa–178.2 MPa were affected by the RPC water/binder ratio (0.16–0.26), RPC steel fiber content (0%–2%), and curing methods (standard curing, 90°C steam curing, and curing in an autoclaved reactor with a maximum temperature and pressure of 200°C and 1.3 MPa, respectively). The main parameters are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: The main parameters of the axial compression experiments of reactive powder concrete-filled steel tubes (RPCFTs)

Index
Section
fcu (MPa)
fy (MPa)
ξ
Fiber (%)
Nu (kN)

1
100 × 4.5 × 200
141.5
210
0.434
2.00
2178

2
100 × 4.5 × 200
141.5
210
0.434
0.00
2070

3
100 × 4.5 × 200
141.5
210
0.434
2.00
2121

4
125 × 1 × 438
155.4
250
0.057
0.00
1700

5
125 × 1 × 438
155.4
250
0.057
0.00
2000

6
125 × 1 × 438
155.4
250
0.057
0.00
1840

7
127 × 2 × 445
155.4
245
0.113
0.00
1930

8
127 × 2 × 445
155.4
245
0.113
0.00
1790

9
127 × 2 × 445
155.4
245
0.113
0.00
1850

10
133 × 3.5 × 465
155.4
289
0.231
0.00
2420

11
133 × 3.5 × 465
155.4
289
0.231
0.00
2360

12
133 × 3.5 × 465
155.4
289
0.231
0.00
2490

13
133 × 5 × 465
155.4
319
0.378
0.00
2450

14
133 × 5 × 465
155.4
319
0.378
0.00
2480

15
133 × 5 × 465
155.4
319
0.378
0.00
2350

16
133 × 3.5 × 465
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2180

17
133 × 3.5 × 465
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2480

18
133 × 3.5 × 465
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2440

19
133 × 3.5 × 400
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2430

20
133 × 3.5 × 400
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2500

21
133 × 3.5 × 400
167.1
289
0.221
0.00
2565

22
102 × 1 × 324
148
328
0.101
0.00
1310

23
102 × 1 × 324
172
328
0.088
1.20
1335

24
104 × 2 × 416
172
328
0.178
1.20
1463

25
104 × 2 × 416
172
328
0.178
1.20
1486

26
106 × 3 × 378
172
328
0.27
1.20
1780

27
106 × 3 × 378
172
328
0.27
1.20
1853

28
106 × 3 × 378
172
328
0.27
1.20
1760

29
121 × 5 × 484
172
350
0.439
1.20
2608

30
121 × 5 × 484
172
350
0.439
1.20
2576

31
121 × 5 × 484
172
350
0.439
1.20
2612

32
128 × 2 × 466
172
315
0.138
1.20
2256

33
128 × 2 × 466
172
315
0.138
1.20
2228

34
128 × 2 × 466
172
315
0.138
1.20
2218

35
128 × 2 × 466
172
315
0.138
1.20
2224

36
128 × 2 × 466
148
315
0.158
0.00
2190

37
128 × 2 × 466
148
315
0.158
0.00
2213

38
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2496

39
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2510

40
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2523

41
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2508

42
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2489

43
130 × 3 × 455
172
315
0.208
1.20
2467

44
133 × 3 × 400
122.4
290
0.257
0.00
2000

45
133 × 3 × 400
122.4
290
0.257
0.00
2005

46
133 × 3 × 400
172.2
290
0.182
0.00
2300

47
133 × 3 × 400
172.2
290
0.182
0.00
2350

48
133 × 4.5 × 400
122.4
318
0.439
0.00
2250

49
133 × 4.5 × 400
122.4
318
0.439
0.00
2200

50
133 × 4.5 × 400
172.2
318
0.311
0.00
2700

51
133 × 4.5 × 400
172.2
318
0.311
0.00
2750

52
133 × 6.5 × 400
122.4
318
0.666
0.00
2300

53
133 × 6.5 × 400
122.4
318
0.666
0.00
2350

54
133 × 6.5 × 400
172.2
318
0.472
0.00
2950

55
133 × 6.5 × 400
172.2
318
0.472
0.00
2950

56
133 × 8.5 × 400
122.4
290
0.837
0.00
2500

57
133 × 8.5 × 400
122.4
290
0.837
0.00
2550

58
133 × 8.5 × 400
172.2
290
0.592
0.00
2950

59
133 × 8.5 × 400
172.2
290
0.592
0.00
2960

60
133 × 10 × 400
122.4
376
1.329
0.00
3200

61
133 × 10 × 400
122.4
376
1.329
0.00
3100

62
133 × 10 × 400
172.2
376
0.941
0.00
3450

63
133 × 10 × 400
172.2
376
0.941
0.00
3450

64
133 × 12 × 400
172.2
336
1.067
0.00
3500

65
133 × 12 × 400
172.2
336
1.067
0.00
3650

66
110 × 5 × 300
133.9
310
0.562
0.00
1580

67
113 × 6.5 × 300
133.9
321
0.768
0.00
2076

68
113 × 6.5 × 300
133.9
321
0.768
0.00
2048

69
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1620

70
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1621

71
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
320
0.57
0.50
1645

72
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
320
0.57
0.50
1709

73
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
320
0.57
0.50
1655

74
113 × 6.5 × 300
125.5
321
0.754
0.50
2096

75
113 × 6.5 × 300
125.5
321
0.754
0.50
2172

76
113 × 6.5 × 300
163
321
0.65
0.00
2379

77
113 × 6.5 × 300
163
321
0.65
0.00
2415

78
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2141

79
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2146

80
110 × 5 × 300
178.2
320
0.464
2.00
1693

81
110 × 5 × 300
178.2
320
0.464
2.00
1641

82
110 × 5 × 300
178.2
320
0.464
2.00
1734

83
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1789

84
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1730

85
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
320
0.57
0.50
1865

86
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
320
0.57
0.50
1745

87
110 × 5 × 300
178.2
320
0.464
2.00
1886

88
110 × 5 × 300
178.2
320
0.464
2.00
1745

89
110 × 5 × 300
133.9
310
0.562
0.00
1789

90
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1760

91
110 × 5 × 300
125.5
310
0.552
0.50
1780

92
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2127

93
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2170

94
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2034

95
108 × 6 × 300
170
391
0.72
1.00
2090

96
152 × 5 × 500
87.4
314
0.595
0.00
2704

97
152 × 5 × 500
87.4
314
0.595
0.00
2679

98
152 × 5 × 500
87.4
314
0.595
0.00
2799

99
152 × 5 × 500
76.6
314
0.639
0.00
2287

100
152 × 5 × 500
76.6
314
0.639
0.00
2306

101
121 × 6 × 450
85.4
316
0.979
0.00
1907

102
121 × 6 × 450
85.4
316
0.979
0.00
1902

103
102 × 4 × 450
85.4
291
0.689
0.00
1183

104
102 × 4 × 450
85.4
291
0.689
0.00
1140

105
152 × 5 × 450
85.4
322
0.625
0.00
2833

106
152 × 5 × 450
85.4
322
0.625
0.00
3057

107
121 × 6 × 450
113.6
316
0.734
0.00
2165

108
121 × 6 × 450
113.6
316
0.734
0.00
2173

109
102 × 4 × 450
113.6
291
0.517
0.00
1326

110
102 × 4 × 450
113.6
291
0.517
0.00
1275

111
152 × 5 × 450
113.6
322
0.469
0.00
2961

112
152 × 5 × 450
113.6
322
0.469
0.00
2870

113
133 × 4.5 × 400
96.8
351
0.621
0.00
1817

114
133 × 4.5 × 400
96.8
351
0.621
0.00
1814

115
133 × 4.5 × 400
96.8
351
0.621
0.00
1837

116
133 × 4.5 × 400
96.8
351
0.621
0.00
1843

117
133 × 6 × 400
96.8
330
0.808
0.00
2039

118
133 × 6 × 400
96.8
330
0.808
0.00
2128

119
133 × 6 × 400
96.6
330
0.808
0.00
1966

120
133 × 6 × 400
96.6
330
0.808
0.00
1978

121
133 × 8 × 400
96.6
338
1.162
0.00
2550

122
133 × 8 × 400
96.6
338
1.162
0.00
2552

123
133 × 8 × 400
96.6
338
1.162
0.00
2430

124
133 × 8 × 400
96.6
338
1.162
0.00
2512

125
133 × 10 × 400
96.8
313
1.419
0.00
2890

126
133 × 10 × 400
96.8
313
1.419
0.00
2894

127
133 × 10 × 400
96.8
313
1.419
0.00
2583

128
133 × 10 × 400
96.8
313
1.419
0.00
2510

129
133 × 12 × 400
96.8
402
2.312
0.00
3374

130
133 × 12 × 400
96.8
402
2.312
0.00
3396

131
133 × 12 × 400
96.6
402
2.312
0.00
3260

132
133 × 12 × 400
96.6
402
2.312
0.00
3262

133
219 × 8 × 657
118
450
0.737
2.00
6569

134
219 × 10 × 657
118
430
0.908
2.00
7095

135
219 × 12 × 657
118
375
0.98
2.00
7318

136
245 × 8 × 735
118
425
0.615
2.00
7747

137
245 × 12 × 735
118
383
0.877
2.00
8761

138
273 × 8 × 819
118
412
0.529
2.00
9211

139
273 × 10 × 819
118
380
0.625
2.00
9666

2. Test Results

2.1. Load-Displacement Relationship

A review of the 139 RPCFT axially compressed experiments conducted in past studies found that the vertical stress and strain of the steel tube and core RPC gradually increased with increasing axial load due to pressure, and the core RPC was compressed in three directions because of constraints placed by the steel tube. The RPC peak strain under pressure varied from 0.0035 to 0.008 and increased by 3% to 32%, respectively. The ultimate bearing capacity of RPCFT increased between 2% and 58% over the sum of the bearing capacity of the steel tube and RPC, and brittle failure of the core RPC was not found with effective restraint, plastic deformability of the components was gradually reduced, and the integrity of samples with larger confining coefficients remained after sizeable deformations of 5%, thereby demonstrating excellent ductility. Figure 1 shows the load-displacement curve of the specimen. The mechanical characteristics of RPCFT could be divided into four stages: (1) elasticity; (2) elastic-plastic; (3) descending; and (4) strengthening.

Figure 1: Load-displacement curve of the reactive powder concrete-filled steel tube (RPCFT).

2.1.1. Elastic Stage (OA)

Vertical deformation of the steel tube and RPC increased proportionally with increased load, and no significant deformation of the steel tube surface was observed. The proportional ultimate load of RPCFT ranged from 85% to 95% of the ultimate bearing capacity, whereas the value of CFT was 70%, smaller than that of RPCFT, thereby explaining the disproportionately high strength of RPC in relation to NC. RPC had a uniform and denser internal structure, with mechanical properties closer to elastic material. RPC remained elastic at the ultimate load of 80–95% with no significant volume expansion and maintained Poisson’s ratio at 0.2–0.4. CFT at 40% of the ultimate load experienced rapid expansion of the cracks in the interface between aggregate and cementite, with sharp increases in deformation and significant expansion of volume, resulting in the appearance of the Lüder J slip line. Figure 2 compares the longitudinal and transverse strains between RPC and NC.

Figure 2: The transverse strain versus longitudinal strain of reactive powder concrete (RPC) and normal concrete (NC).

2.1.2. Elastic-Plastic Stage (AB)

With the increasing axial load, yielding of the steel tube occurred due to compression and redistribution of internal force between RPC and steel tube. Thus, there were sharp increases in RPC compressive stress and internal microcracks emerged. In addition, there was continuous expansion of the widths and lengths of cracks, along with increases in transverse volume expansion deformation. The overall stiffness was degraded and the load-deformation curve showed a significant nonlinearity. Since RPC does not contain coarse aggregates, the fracture surface was relatively smooth, the steel fiber at the fracture surface was almost broken, and cracks were filled with powdery material. After the steel tube was extruded, the surface was partially convex, the rust began to peel off, and the Lüder J slip line appeared.

2.1.3. Descending Stage (BC)

At the attainment of the ultimate load, a large amount of internal energy accumulated inside the core of RPC due to compression deformation being suddenly released. Internal cracks rapidly expanded to form a fracture surface. When the steel fiber was almost broken at the fracture surface, the strain energy was rapidly released and the sample broke into pieces. A sound of a sudden splitting failure could then be heard, indicating a load-deformation curve on the decline in the bearing capacity (BC). The sudden drop of bearing capacity involved a process where strain energy was rapidly released, which was dependent on the confining coefficient. RPCFT with a small confining coefficient experienced a small confining force provided by the steel tube. After reaching the ultimate load, the drop in longitudinal stress in the steel tube was higher than that of the restraining effect on the RPC strength provided by the steel tube. There was a marked drop in bearing capacity, and the slope ratio of the descending segment became almost equal to the RPC. An increasing confining coefficient resulted in a significant increase in the confinement effect of the steel tube on the core RPC, and the load-deformation curve showed that the load amplitude did not descend obviously or no obvious decrease after reaching the ultimate bearing capacity was evident. Taking specimens XG1-1 and G1 of Wu Yanhai [11] as examples, the confining coefficient of XG1-1 was small; thus, the steel tube had little restraining effect on RPC and the specimen emitted a bursting sound after reaching the ultimate load. The bearing capacity then drastically dropped and the remaining bearing capacity became only 65% of the ultimate load. The specimen showed significant brittle failure, whereas G1 had a large confining coefficient, the steel tube had a strong constraint on the RPC and the ultimate load bearing capacity descended slowly. The remaining bearing capacity reached as high as 95% of the ultimate load, the curve of the descending section was gentle, and the specimen underwent ductile failure.

2.1.4. Strengthening Stage (CD)

The steel tube entered the strengthening stage after the plastic flow stage under a sufficiently thick steel tube wall, and the strong restraint provided by the steel tube continued to slow down the decline in the core RPC bearing capacity. The entire test bearing capacity entered a rebound state when the increased bearing capacity of the steel tube was sufficient to offset the decline of the core RPC bearing capacity, with the amplitude of its rebound dependent on the confining coefficient of the specimen itself. The larger the confining coefficient, the greater the magnitude of the rebound. Yang Wusheng [10] obtained a similar conclusion when analyzing these test results, namely, under a confining coefficient < 0.4, the bearing capacity of the specimen did not rebound and the curve was flat or continued to decrease, whereas when the bearing capacity was >1.3, the curve enhancement segment could experience sustainable growth.

2.2. Failure Mode

It was found that the failure modes of the 139 RPCFTs could be categorized into three types, as showed in Figure 3.

(a)

(b)

Figure 3: (a) Oblique shear failure and (b) waist drum-shaped failure of reactive powder concrete-filled steel tube (RPCFT).

2.2.1. Steel Tube Buckling Failure

The CFT research results showed that under a large steel tube diameter-thickness ratio (D/t), the straight steel tube underwent a “bowstring effect” under the axial pressure, and the specimen formed a “string” buckling instability by brittleness failure when the ultimate bearing capacity was reached. The CFT design specification of every country provides the D/t limit, and China’s “Technical Specification for CFT” (GB50936-2014) stipulates D/t to be: . However, Zhang Jing [9] studied A1-1 specimens with a diameter of 125 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm, and Yang Wusheng [10] studied specimens of a diameter of 104 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm, with D/t of 125 and 104, respectively, thereby meeting the requirements of the technical specifications for CFT. However, “string” buckling instability remained, mainly because deformation of NC increased rapidly reaching 40% of the ultimate load, and the volume of the core concrete expanded significantly, thereby playing a certain role in supporting the steel tube wall. The transverse strain and volume expansion of RPCFT did not markedly change before reaching the ultimate load. The core concrete cannot support or restrain the tube wall. Therefore, it is recommended that the D/t ratio of RPCFT be determined in accordance with the “Code for Design and Construction of CFT” (CECS 28 : 90) as .

2.2.2. Oblique Shear Failure

The internal energy accumulated in the core RPC was suddenly released to form a fracture surface after the RPC reached the ultimate strength. The fracture surface generated a misalignment and formed two wedge blocks above and below, which were able to slide along the shear surface, resulting in local convexity of the steel tube. However, the increase in the confining coefficient resulted in a strengthening of the restraining effect of the steel tube, an increased restriction of sliding, a slowing down of the development speed of the internal shear crack, and a decrease in the bearing capacity of the steel tube RPC. Yang Wusheng [10] observed a significant shear slip plane after cutting the specimen with shear failure. An inclination angle of 25°–31° was evident; the steel fiber at the shear failure surface was removed, and powdery particles were observed at the RPC contact surface.

2.2.3. Drum-Shaped Failure

Under a large confining coefficient, although the upper and lower wedge blocks of core RPC were able to slide to form a shear slip plane, slide was prevented because the wedge block was placed under a large lateral constraint. The core RPC formed a second shear plane in the opposite direction, thereby increasing the transverse deformation of the specimen to form a partially roughened portion, eventually forming a multifold shear failure, i.e., drum bending in the position of the top and bottom roofs of the bearing capacity. The RPC was severely crushed and could be peeled off by hand. For NC, Zhang Sumei [17] found that CFT with a confining coefficient of approximately 0.8 would suffer from drum-type damage. The characteristics of RPC material and the results of 139 RPCFT showed that the critical confining coefficient is suggested to occur in oblique shear failure and waist drum failure.

3. Analysis of Factors Affecting RPCFT Axial Compression Bearing Capacity

3.1. Confining Coefficient

The confining coefficient () is a comprehensive index that reflects the extent to which the core RPC is constrained by the steel tube and is the key factor affecting the ultimate bearing capacity and failure mode of the RPCFT. The fitting curve between and by the test results of 87 RPCFT without steel fibers in Table 1 is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Relationship between ξ and by RPCFT without steel fiber.

Figure 4 shows that is proportional to , and the proportional factor is 1.394; however, the factors for HSC and NC were 1.8 and 2, respectively. The factor decreased with increasing strength due to the weakened confining coefficients of HSC and RPC. This was mainly because when NC was loaded to 40% of the ultimate load, expansion of microcracks in the transition zone between cement stone and coarse aggregate caused discontinuity of the displacement field, resulting in a rapid increase of the transverse deformation coefficient of the concrete. The large sum exceededs Poisson’s ratio of the steel tube, and a large confining force was formed after the steel tube was extruded. The water-binder ratio was smaller, and the internal structure was denser for HSC or RPC. RPC was in particular close to an elastic material. Poisson’s ratio of RPC did not change much before the RPC was loaded 80%–90% of the ultimate load. The transversal strain and vertical strain ratio developed proportionally. The lateral deformation coefficient of RPC struggled to exceed Poisson’s ratio of the steel tube, and the confining force of the steel tube was difficult to initiate:

3.2. Diameter to Thickness Ratio of Steel Tube

When applying a fixed steel tube outer diameter (D), the confining coefficient increased with increasing steel tube thickness (t) and the ultimate bearing capacity continued to increase. Figures 5 and 6 show the fit of the relationship between D/t and from the results of Yang Guojing [15] and Wu Yanhai [11], respectively. From the figures, it is evident that, under a relatively small D/t, the change in D/t had a greater influence on the ultimate bearing capacity, whereas under a larger D/t, variation of D/t had little effect on the ultimate bearing capacity, and the critical D/t ratio was 25–30.

Figure 5: The relationship between D/t and provided by Yang Guojing [15].

Figure 6: The relationship between D/t and provided by Wu Yanhai [11].

3.3. Core RPC Strength

Figure 7 shows the fitting relationship between and by Yang Guojing [15] using the results of 20 RPCFT with an RPC strength of 96.6 MPa. Figure 8 shows the above relationship from the study of Zhang Jing [9] and Wu Yanhai [11] with RPC strengths of 167.1 MPa and 172.1 MPa, respectively. Evident from Figures 7 and 8 is that the scale factor between and under a strength of 96.6 MPa is 1.43 and under the strengths of 167.1 MPa and 172.2 MPa is 1.37. Therefore, with an increase of RPC strength, the effect of the steel tube on RPC restraint was further weakened, and its proportional coefficient was reduced from 1.43 to 1.37. However, the change was merely 4.2%, which can be neglected for practical applications.

Figure 7: Relationship between ξ and provided by Yang Guojing [15].

Figure 8: The relationship between ξ and provided by Zhang Jing [9].

3.4. Steel Fiber Content in RPC

Table 2 shows the effect of steel fiber content on the ultimate bearing capacity of RPCFT. It is evident from Table 2 that, for a steel fiber content of 1.2%, RPC axial compressive strength increased by 15%, and the total axial compressive strength of RPC and steel tube should be increased by approximately 10%, whereas the actual ultimate load of the test samples were increased by an almost negligible amount of 0.7% to 3.8%. The axial compressive strength of RPC increased by 25% under a steel fiber content of 2%. Considering the contribution of RPC to strength, the theoretical ultimate capacity of RPCFT resulting from an increase of the axial compressive strength of RPC increased by approximately 14%, whereas the ultimate load bearing capacity of the actual test increased by merely from 2.4% to 3.8%. Almost no effect on the ultimate bearing capacity could be expected. Therefore, although the steel fiber content could increase the axial compressive strength of RPC, the contribution to the ultimate bearing capacity of RPCFT was negligible, consistent with the conclusion of Dallaier [18], mainly because of differences in the action mechanism between steel fibers and steel tubes in RPC. The main role of steel fiber was to withstand some of the tensile stress placed on the RPC principal stress section, thereby increasing the strength of RPC. However, the core RPC confined by the steel tube was compressed in three directions, and the principal compressive stress failure was found when the ultimate load reached. Therefore, the addition of steel fiber to steel tube RPC did not contribute considerably to the bearing capacity. To reduce costs, the addition of steel fiber to RPCFT is not recommended.

Table 2: The effect of the ultimate bearing capacity by the fiber ratio in reactive powder concrete (RPC).

Reference
Sample no.
Steel fiber (%)

(%)
(%)
(%)

[8]
B21
0
141
6504
2070

2.4

B22
2
—
6504
2121

[10]
L-1
0
131
7854
1310
115
11
1.9

H-1
1.2
150
7854
1335

L-2A
0
131
12076
2190
115
10
3.0

H-8A
1.2
150
12076
2256

L-2B
0
131
12076
2213
115
10
0.7

H-8B
1.2
150
12076
2228

[12]
CFT1
0
116
7854
1580
125
14
3.8

CFT8-2
2
145
7854
1641

3.5. Loading Method

The most commonly used loading methods for CFT as shown in Figure 9 include full-section load and core-loaded concrete. Table 3 compares the ultimate bearing capacity from the study of Yang Guojing [15] under different loading methods. The differences in bearing capacities under both loading modes were within 5%. It can be considered that the loading method was applied to the mechanical properties of the axially compressed short columns of steel tube RPC. The impact could be regarded as negligible.

(a)

(b)

Figure 9: Loading pattern of the RPC-filled circular tube used in the experiment. (a) Loading on the reactive powder concrete (RPC) and tube. (b) Loading only on the reactive powder concrete (RPC).

Table 3: Effect of the ultimate bearing capacity according to the loading pattern.

Sample no.
Loading pattern

(%)

A-4.1
A
0.621
1817
99

A-4.2
A
0.621
1814

B-4.1
B
0.621
1837

B-4.2
B
0.621
1843

A-6-1
A
0.808
2039
106

A-6-2
A
0.808
2128

-6-1
B
0.808
1966

B-6-2
B
0.808
1978

A-8-1
A
1.162
2550
103

A-8-2
A
1.162
2552

B-8-1
B
1.162
2430

B-8-2
B
1.162
2512

A-12-1
A
2.312
3374
104

A-12-2
A
2.312
3396

B-12-1
B
2.312
3260

B-12-2
B
2.312
3262

4. Analysis of RPCFT-Bearing Capacity Based on Limit Equilibrium Theory

Methods of determining the ultimate bearing capacity of CFT can be divided into two categories: (1) numerical analysis methods and (2) limit analysis methods [19]. A numerical analysis method analyzes the material stress-strain relationship to simulate the load history and process, thereby determining the force and deformation characteristics of the entire process from elasticity to failure. The limit analysis method is based on the force balance relationship evident when components are in a limit bearing capacity state. This method can calculate the ultimate bearing capacity and is independent of the loading history and the deformation process. At present, research on the stress-strain relation of RPC remains inadequate, and no constitutive relationship is available to form a widely accepted constraint for RPC. Thus, this method does not meet the conditions for numerical analysis. Therefore, the limit analysis method was used to explore the ultimate bearing capacity of steel RPCFT axially compressed short columns.

The parameters are shown in Figure 10 so that the RPC core area and steel tube area are

Figure 10: The internal stress of RPC-infilled circular tube.

According to the internal force balance, the relationship between annular tension and confining force of the steel tube is

Synthesis (equations (2)–(4)) can be obtained:

The steel tube conforms to the von Mises yield criterion, which is

Equation (6) can be solved as follows:

The study of confined concrete showed that there is a linear relationship between confined concrete strength and confining force:

Therefore,

When N reached the ultimate bearing capacity:

That is, under equation (10), when the ultimate bearing capacity was reached, the confining force was:

Substituting confining force into equation (9):

replaced in (12),

5. Calculation of Bearing Capacity of RPCFT

By referring to the “Technical Specifications for Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Structures” (GB50936-2014) and the analysis results presented in Figure 4 and Equation (13), it is recommended that the value of RPC should be 1.394. The equation for calculating the bearing capacity of RPCFT is

6. Conclusion

Circular steel tube-confined RPC is an effective method to increase ductility, and the following conclusions could be drawn from the results obtained for the analyzes:

(1)Results for a total of 139 RPCFT axial compression columns showed that the load-displacement curves can be divided into four stages: (1) elastic; (2) elastic-plastic; (3) descending; and (4) strengthening. Moreover, the elastic limit could reach the ultimate limit of 90%. The failure modes could be divided into three categories: (1) wall buckling instability failure; (2) oblique shear failure; and (3) waist drum damage. It was suggested that the D/t ratio of RPCFT should be kept below to avoid buckling and brittle failure of the tube wall. Oblique shear failure and drum-type damage could both result in ductile failure, and it was recommended that the critical confining coefficient be set to 1.(2)The larger the confining coefficient, the greater the increase in bearing capacity of RPCFT. The core RPC strength, loading method, and steel fiber content of RPC had little effect on the RPC bearing capacity of the steel tube. To reduce cost, it was recommended that no steel fiber be added to the steel tube RPC.(3)Steel tube has less of a constraining effect on RPC than NC and HSC. The increase in the coefficient of steel tube-constrained RPC was 1.394. The equation for the ultimate bearing capacity of the steel tube RPC was proposed in reference to the “Technical Specifications for Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Structure” (GB50936-2014).

Data Availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Acknowledgments

The author also would like to acknowledge the support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 51678190) for partially funding this research. All staff and laboratory technicians are thanked for their kind assistance during the research.

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