Rectangular filled composite members made from high strength materials: Behavior and design of columns and beams

The AISC Specification limits the use of steel and concrete materials in filled composite members to concrete strength (fc′) less than or equal to 69 MPa and steel yield strength (Fy) less than or equal to 517 MPa. This paper presents the results of comprehensive analytical investigations conducted using benchmarked numerical models to evaluate the behavior of rectangular filled composite members made from one or both materials exceeding the AISC Specification strength limits. The numerical models are developed and analyzed using the displacement-based formulation of the fiber-based finite element in OpenSees. Prior research has developed effective (phenomenological) stress–strain curves for steel and concrete materials that implicitly account for the effects of steel yielding, local buckling, concrete cracking, crushing and confinement, and the interaction between the two materials in the composite cross-section. This paper first benchmarks the modeling approach and then uses the benchmarked model to conduct analytical parametric studies covering a wide range of parameters, including: member slenderness, section slenderness, section aspect ratio, steel yield stress and concrete compressive strength. The results from the parametric studies are used to evaluate behavior and develop new design equations based on nominal stress distributions over the composite section. The nominal steel stress in compression (Fcr) is expressed as a continuous function of the section slenderness and yield strength, thus eliminating the current AISC Specification’s need for section classification (compact, noncompact and slender). The new design equations are recommended for relaxing the material strength limitations in the next version of the AISC Specification. •Proposed design equations were recently adopted by the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 360-22).•A novel procedure for designing high-strength concrete-filled steel tube members is presented.•Design equations based on an extensive parametric study conducted using OpenSees software.•Eliminating the current need for section classification with providing more accurate design equations.•Extend material strength limits to 15 ksi (104 MPa) for concrete and 100 ksi (690 MPa) for steel.