Development of Experimental Database of Steel-Concrete Composite Columns

Steel-concrete composite columns are an attractive alternative to more traditional structural steel or reinforced concrete columns for use within buildings and other structures. The two most common types of composite column are the concrete-filled steel tube, which is a hollow steel section with concrete inside, and the steel reinforced concrete member, which is an I-shaped steel section encased in concrete. Design provisions for composite columns are given in the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings. These provisions have evolved significantly in recent editions, but further improvements are necessary to fully realize the benefits that composite columns provide. Two areas in particular where the provisions could be improved are the definition of the resistance factor for combined axial compression and bending moment and expansion of the scope to include higher strength materials. However, any change to the provisions must be well justified. In this research, a database of published experimental data is developed to aid in the development of new provisions and provide the basis of their justification. In addition to the raw data, each specimen is analyzed to evaluate current design provisions. Among the results is statistical data that describes level of uncertainty in the model when calculating expected strength, which is a key component in determining an appropriate resistance factor.