Experimental and numerical investigations of UHPFRC-filled circular steel tubular columns under axial and lateral cyclic loads
Abstract
This study investigates the seismic performance of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC)-filled circular steel tubular columns through experimental testing and numerical simulation. Eight specimens were tested under combined axial and lateral cyclic loading, considering three concrete types (normal-strength concrete, high-strength concrete, and UHPFRC), two steel tube thicknesses (2 mm and 5 mm), and two axial load levels (5% and 25%). Failure modes, hysteretic behavior, load-carrying capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation were evaluated. The results demonstrate that UHPFRC-filled columns exhibit superior performance, with 91.5% and 31.5% higher load-carrying capacity compared to normal-strength and high-strength concrete-filled columns with 2 mm tube thickness, respectively. Energy dissipation improved by 101% and 24% for the same comparisons. The use of UHPFRC enables steel savings of up to 71% while achieving comparable or superior lateral capacity. A validated finite element model incorporating confinement effects and cyclic material behavior is proposed for predicting column performance.
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BibTeX
@article{sakr2026experimental,
title = {{Experimental and numerical investigations of UHPFRC-filled circular steel tubular columns under axial and lateral cyclic loads}},
author = {Mohamed A. Sakr and Ayman A. Seleema and Omnia Kharoub and Mostafa Abo Elnour},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-69255-2},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-69255-2},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Experimental and numerical investigations of UHPFRC-filled circular steel tubular columns under axial and lateral cyclic loads
AU - Mohamed A. Sakr
AU - Ayman A. Seleema
AU - Omnia Kharoub
AU - Mostafa Abo Elnour
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/03
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-69255-2
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-69255-2
AB - This study investigates the seismic performance of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC)-filled circular steel tubular columns through experimental testing and numerical simulation. Eight specimens were tested under combined axial and lateral cyclic loading, considering three concrete types (normal-strength concrete, high-strength concrete, and UHPFRC), two steel tube thicknesses (2 mm and 5 mm), and two axial load levels (5% and 25%). Failure modes, hysteretic behavior, load-carrying capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation were evaluated. The results demonstrate that UHPFRC-filled columns exhibit superior performance, with 91.5% and 31.5% higher load-carrying capacity compared to normal-strength and high-strength concrete-filled columns with 2 mm tube thickness, respectively. Energy dissipation improved by 101% and 24% for the same comparisons. The use of UHPFRC enables steel savings of up to 71% while achieving comparable or superior lateral capacity. A validated finite element model incorporating confinement effects and cyclic material behavior is proposed for predicting column performance.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -