Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation for the Seismic Performance of an Innovative Connection between a Flat CFST Column and an H Beam

A concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) column permits convenient and fast construction, and its use for high-rise buildings is increasing. Meanwhile, the CFST structure has great potential for use in residence buildings, owing to its smooth evaluation. A connection for a flat CFST column has also attracted increasing attention from scholars. An innovative connection between a flat CFST column and an H beam was proposed and cyclically tested in this paper. The flat CFST column, with a width that is equal to the thickness of the partition wall, was adopted to avoid the protrusion of the column into the corner of the room. The configuration of the innovative connection was introduced, and three full-scale specimens, considering different relative positions of the beam and column, were tested under cyclic load to failure. The seismic performance, including the failure mode, ductility, etc., were revealed and evaluated. It was indicated that the plastic hinge of the connection was prominently removed outward, due to the reinforced short beam and the interior-diaphragm, verifying the reliability of the innovative connection. Furthermore, an elaborated finite element model was developed, and the results of the finite element simulation were compared with the experimental simulations. This comparison confirmed the reasonability of the developed finite element model.