Crushing of steel tubes with different infills under partial axial loading

Localised/partial loading is seen in many applications in the building and construction industry. This paper aims to study the influence of localised loading in different positions and Loading Coverage Areas (LCAs) for steel columns with concrete and timber infills, and hollow steel tubes. Fifteen tests were carried out in three categories. Structural stability of the specimens was evaluated far into their plastic response up until crushing. The energy absorption of each specimen was quantified and compared with its counterparts of different materials and LCAs. Axial capacity and failure were focused on as well as the strength-to-mass ratio for each specimen. There was a noticeable capacity difference between the side-loaded and mid-loaded specimens of each group indicating the effect of material under loading on the capacity. The side-loaded specimens had a higher interface between the loading element and steel, compared to the mid-loaded specimens. Numerical analysis was also conducted, which yielded a very close consistency of results with the experiments.