THE RESEARCH ON INFLUENCE OF FILLER WALLS ON THE ASEISMIC BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE-FILLED RECTANGULAR STEEL TUBULAR FRAMES

To study the influence rules of filler walls on the aseismic behavior and mechanical behavior of concrete-filled rectangular steel tubular (CFRST) frames, the load-carrying capacity, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, failure mechanism and characteristics were researched, through the quasi-static tests of two bays, 1-span 2-floor concrete-filled rectangular steel tubular frames with filler walls. The results indicate that the filler walls make the load-carrying capacity and lateral stiffness of the frames increase, the yield displacement and ultimate displacement decrease, and the ductility reduces. Compared with other frames, the concrete-filled rectangular steel tubular frames with filler walls have better aseismic performance and energy dissipation capacity. Owing to the more obvious effect of the filler walls on the mechanical behavior and ductility of this kind of frames, the contribution made by filler walls should be clear in the engineering practice of concrete-filled steel tubular structures. If the filler walls are considered to participate in bearing loads, it should be considered in structure analyses, otherwise the connection between the filler walls and frame columns should be flexible to avoid the stiffness effect.