This paper aims to predict the inelastic behavior of thin-walled steel and composite structures, such as hollow and concrete-filled steel columns. For this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) elasto-plastic finite element analysis methodology has been presented for both thin-walled steel columns with pipe and box-shaped sections, and concrete-filled steel box columns. By comparing with experimental result, it is concluded that the proposed analytical method can give an accurate prediction to the experimental results of both steel and composite structures.Keywords: Steel column; concrete-filled steel column; interface element; cyclic loading; elasto-plastic behavior; buckling mode
INTRODUCTIONCantilever steel hollow and concrete-filled columns (CFT) have been widely designed and used as bridge piers in many countries. Such cantilever type bridge piers occupy less space and thus allow the free traffic flow in the roads below the highways. Moreover, concrete-filled steel columns can provide excellent seismic resistant behavior, such as high strength, high ductility, and large energy absorption capacity. Figure 1 shows a view of steel box-section bridge pier damaged during Hyogoken-nanbu earthquake near Kobe city in Japan on January 17, 1995.A clear understanding of inelastic behavior is very important in developing a seismic design methodology for these structures. To this end, the load-displacement curves of the structures play a very important role. To date, fiber model analysis is usually considered as an effective and convenient approach for capacity prediction of structures (Susantha et al. [8,9]). However, this concept without considering local buckling of steel members or interaction between steel-concrete interfaces of composite members needs an additional criterion to determine the ultimate state. On the other hand, three dimensional approaches are very limited because of time-consuming of such analyses and complicated modeling in the case of composite structures. As the rapid development of computers and the spread of use of structural analysis software packages, the 3D analysis will be widely used to better understand inelastic behavior of complicated structures.