Composite Cold-Formed Steel Rubberised Concrete Building Framed Systems

Abstract

In this research, with the use of cold-formed steel (CFS) sections in-filled with rubberized concrete (RuC), a new low-carbon construction system is developed and assessed for its structural resilience and environmental impact compared to the current conventional earthquake-proof construction. First, connection level moment-rotation responses of the new form of CFS-RuC framed structure are validated against the results obtained from detailed finite element analyses. Next, nonlinear pushover analyses are undertaken on the CFS-RuC framed system in conjunction with conventional hot-rolled steel and reinforced-concrete (RC) frames for a case study selected in Istanbul. Lastly, economic and environmental impact analyses are conducted on the frame systems. The results show that the new CFS-RuC composite system offers both structural and environmental advantages compared to conventional systems. In terms of seismic performance of multi-storey buildings, it is shown that the ductility capacity of the CFS-RuC system can be improved by increasing the number of stories.