Behavior and strength of tubed RC stub columns under axial compression

This paper presents an experimental and analytical study on the behavior of axially compressed tubed RC stub columns. Forty specimens including twenty circular tubed RC (STRC) and twenty square tubed RC (STRC) stub columns were tested to investigate the failure mode and axial load strength of tubed RC columns subjected to axial compression. The effect of diameter/width to thickness ratio of the tubes and compressive strength of concrete were also studied. The effect of height to diameter/width ratio of the separated tube in tubed RC columns was studied to investigate the effect of bond and friction between tube and concrete on the behavior of tubed RC columns. Elastic-plastic analysis on the steel tube was employed to study the mechanism of tubed RC stub columns subjected to axial compression. Equations for the prediction of the ultimate axial load strength of tubed RC stub columns were proposed and the results from prediction were compared with the test results. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.