Behavior of CFRP-confined reactive powder concrete-filled steel tubes under axial compression

Abstract

Reactive powder concrete-filled steel tubes (RPCFSTs) have become an important research target in recent years. In engineering applications, RPCFSTs can provide superior vertical components for high-rise and tower buildings, thereby enabling developers to provide more floor space. However, this type of composite structure is prone to inelastic outward local buckling. The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) wrapping to suppress such local buckling has shown great potential in limited test results. This paper presents experimental results concerning the axial compression of CFRP-confined reactive powder concrete-filled circular steel tubes (CF-RPCFSTs). We included 18 specimens in our experimental investigation, varying the number of CFRP layers, steel tube thickness, and RPC strength. According to our test results, CF-RPCFSTs exhibit compression shear failure and drum-shaped failure. The CFRP wrap can effectively enhance bearing capacity and postpone local buckling of the steel tube. In addition, three-layer CFRP-confined RPC-filled thin-wall steel tubes are suitable for engineering. We also propose a model to calculate the bearing capacity of CF-RPCFSTs. Compared to the existing model of CFRP-confined concrete-filled steel tubes, the results obtained using the proposed model are in good agreement with our experimental results.