Numerical analysis of concentrically loaded hexagonal concrete-filled steel tubular short columns incorporating concrete confinement

Hexagonal concrete-filled steel tubular (HCFST) columns have been used to carry large loads in tall composite buildings. Their behavior and strength are different from those of circular and square concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns due to the confinement effect. This article describes a computational modeling method of nonlinear fiber analysis recognizing the concrete confinement for the response simulation of HCFST short columns subjected to axial compression. New constitutive relations of confinement for quantifying the confining stresses on the concrete confined by the hexagonal steel tube and the residual concrete strength are developed by means of analyzing existing test data. The computational modeling program written is verified by existing experimental data and then employed to ascertain the behavior of HCFST columns with important parameters. The current design standards for CFST circular columns are used to determine the strengths of HCFST columns to evaluate their applicability to the design of HCFST columns. Proposed is a new simple design equation for computing the axial capacities of HCFST columns. The computational model and the design equation proposed are shown to be accurate, and effective simulation and design tools for HCSFT stub columns that are loaded concentrically in comparisons with the current design codes.