Flexural Buckling of Concrete-Filled Aluminium Alloy CHS Columns: Numerical Modelling and Design

The current study deals with numerical modelling and design framework of concrete-filled aluminium alloy columns with circular hollow sections (CHSs) under pin-ended boundary conditions. The examined aluminium alloy is 6082-T6, and the concrete infill has cylinder compressive strength of 30 MPa. Finite element modelling was employed to simulate the investigated columns. Reported test data were used to verify the developed finite element models. Material and geometrical nonlinearities were considered during the analyses. Parametric analyses have been executed to generate structural performance results over a wide range of member slendernesses for a stocky and a slender cross section. The obtained load-mid-height lateral displacement curves were discussed. The ultimate capacities predicted by numerical analyses were utilised to assess the design strengths predicted using combined formulae of EN 1994-1-1 and EN 1999-1-1 and design criteria proposed by Zhou and Young for the plastic resistance of concrete-filled aluminium alloy CHSs combined with flexural buckling strength predictions suggested by EN 1999-1-1. It was shown that the latter provides more accurate and consistent design strength predictions