Best of Both Worlds

All around the Pacific Rim structural engineers are experimenting with concrete filled steel tubes as structural elements. The concrete filled tubes take advantage of the best properties of both materials to form a strong structural system that meets the Rim's stringent seismic standards. Structural engineers have experimented with the tubes for nearly ten years and a collaborative study with Japan should answer some of the looming questions behind using this new structural system. For now, examples in Seattle and San Francisco show how the tubes have already had some success in the United States.