Abstract
CFT columns used as bridge piers have high strength and ductility, compared with hollow columns. However, up to the present, no sufficient research has been conducted on an accurate analysis of CFT columns under cyclic loading. Herein, based on ABAQUS, an accurate and numerically stable 3D-FEM model is proposed by considering the geometric and material nonlinearity as well as the interface action between in-filled concrete and steel tube. The validity of the computed hysteretic behavior of CFT columns is confirmed by existing experimental results. By the use of the proposed FEM model, the hysteretic behavior of the CFT columns is numerically investigated, focusing on the confinement pressure of the in-filled concrete and the metal fracture of the steel tube.
