Concrete–filled steel tube truss girders—a state-of-the-art review

Abstract

AbstractSteel–concrete composite construction is practised worldwide due to the strength and stiffness achieved with minimum use of materials. Among the various forms of steel–concrete composite construction in practice, concrete–filled tube (CFT) and specifically concrete–filled steel tube (CFST) is a well-received system. Concrete–filled steel tube (CFST) system comprises of an infill concrete core that withstands loading and prevents local buckling and steel at the outer circumference to effectively resist bending. Owing to the benefits of CFST in buildings viz., strength, ductility, constructability, and aesthetics, its usage has been extended to bridges in recent years. One such adaptation is CFST truss girders, where the concrete infill increases the compressive strength of the top chord and the tensile strength of the bottom chord preventing buckling and pinching action respectively. Since design methods for CFST composite girders are not yet established in detail, the use of CFSTs in girder bridge systems is limited. So far, the responses of this system have been studied under static and dynamic loading both experimentally and analytically. This paper collectively presents the behavior of such CFST truss girders with special emphasis on truss bridge girders based on the extensive research activities carried out in the last two decades. Potential areas of research in the future are also identified and summarized.