Compressive Behaviour of Long Steel Tube Columns Filled with Recycled Large Aggregate Self-Compacting Concrete

Abstract

One of the important directions for green development in the world today is to expand the application methods of recycled concrete, improve the utilization rate of waste aggregates, and slow down the consumption of natural resources. The column structure with a large length and slenderness ratio is the most widely used compression unit in practical engineering, which conforms to the principle of sustainable development. In this paper, we study the mechanical properties and failure modes of long columns fabricated from steel tubes filled with recycled large aggregate self-compacting concrete (RLASCC-ST-LC) under compression load. Moreover, we examine the influence of steel tube thickness, recycled large-aggregate particle size, the strength of self-compacting concrete, and the length-to-diameter ratio on the performance of the members through finite element modelling. The results indicated that RLASCC-ST-LCs exhibited different degrees of buckling damage, and the damage processes were basically the same as that of steel tube concrete. When the thickness of steel pipe increased from 4 mm to 5 mm, the ultimate bearing capacity of the component increased by 12.1%; when the strength of self-compacting concrete increased from 30 MPa to 40 MPa and 50 MPa, the ultimate loads of the component increased by 6.96% and 12.4%, respectively. However, the increase in the aspect ratio weakened the bearing capacity of the component, and the ultimate bearing capacities reduced by 4.78% and 10.51% when the aspect ratios were 8, 10, and 12. Finally, based on the existing design codes, the theoretical calculation formulas are proposed for the ultimate bearing capacities of RLASCC-ST-LCs. These findings have significant implications for the widespread application of RLASCC-ST-LCs.