Open Access

ARTICLE

An Experimental Study of Composite Columns Filled with Eucalyptus nitens Timber under Axial Compression

by Yingyao Cheng^1,2, Xudong Chen³, Huaming An^1,*, Huimin Wang^2,4, Kai Tao^2,5

1 Faulty of Public Security and Emergency Management, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650093, China
2 School of Engineering, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
3 School of Civil Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, China
4 College of water conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
5 College of Automation & College of Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China

* Corresponding Author: Huaming An. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Bio-based Composite/Hybrid Structures and Components)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2023, 11(2), 825-836. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2022.022599

Received 16 March 2022; Accepted 18 July 2022; Issue published 22 September 2022

Abstract

Eucalyptus nitens (E. nitens) has been much used for producing paper but also shows promise for structural applications. In this study, static compressive tests were undertaken to examine its suitability to be used in an innovative composite column. The composite column was comprised of a rectangular steel tube with E. nitens timber infill. The nonlinear compressive behaviour of the composite column filled with E. nitens wood for both dry and wet conditions was examined. The same tests on rectangular steel tubes and bare dry and wet E. nitens samples were also undertaken as a comparison. For samples with different conditions, the ultimate capacity was evaluated and the effect of each condition on the compressive behaviour of the composite column was clarified. The steel tubes showed greater ductile behaviour, and more ductility was found in the wet samples. The steel tubes with E. nitens timber infill samples exhibited a greater linear elastic range connected with higher maximum loads, while the bare timber samples could support only lower maximum loads. The results from this research were promising for the use of rectangular steel tubes with E. nitens timber infill in structural applications.

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