BEHAVIOR OF HOLLOW STEEL SECTIONS FILLED WITH SAND AND EPOXY RESIN MIXES

Abstract

The behavior of the composite sections has been examined, particularly for the composite columns. Some previous research used concrete to fill in steel tube columns to improve the different buckling modes of steel tubes and increase the strength of the columns. Other researchers used the sand to fill in steel tube columns to improve the different buckling modes of steel tube columns.

This research aim is to improve the behavior of hollow steel sections to resist different buckling modes. In this context, the study is presently being conducted on hollow steel sections filled with materials having lighter weight, more ductility, high tensile strength, and easy to operate. The aim of mixing sand with epoxy resin is to improve the shear strength of the filling material. Properties of epoxy materials are better than properties of cement as better adhesion, low shrinkage, lower weight, higher tensile strength, high ductility, better workability, and better resistance to physical and chemical attacks.

This research focuses on the behavior of hollow steel sections filled with sand and epoxy resin mixes under concentric loads. A total of 16 specimens of square hollow and composite columns have been examined to test the behavior of slender hollow steel sections filled with sand and epoxy resin mix. In this process the experimental program considers two groups of test specimens, the first group has 7 models of Hollow Steel columns (Group-H). The second group has 9 models of composite steel columns (Group-C). Different parameters were considered in this study which are epoxy to sand ratios mixes, steel tube width-to-thickness ratio (b/t), and the height-to-with ratios of steel tubes (h/b).