Abstract
The truncation of steel sections in Steel Reinforced Concrete-Reinforced Concrete (SRC-RC) transfer columns may lead to a distortion in the internal force transmission. A refined finite element model of SRC-RC transfer columns was developed in this study taking into consideration the effects of different confinement around concrete. According to the internal force and deformation characteristics of a transfer column, the shear capacity of the SRC-RC transfer column was investigated, and the results compared well with existing experimental results. Extensive parametric studies were conducted and crosschecked with the current code. It is found that the current specification may not always ensure the shear failure capacity since it is intrinsically affected by both the internal force and deformation characteristics of the transfer column. A modified formula has been proposed, by which more rational design of structural members may be expected, brittle failure can be avoided and ductility will be improved.