Concrete-filled aluminium alloy tubular stub columns under eccentric loading

Gkantou, M ORCID: 0000-0003-2494-405X, Bin Ali, S, Tziavos, NI and Sun, Y (2026) Concrete-filled aluminium alloy tubular stub columns under eccentric loading. Structures, 91. pp. 1-19. ISSN 2352-0124

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Abstract

The increasing demand for lightweight, durable and corrosion-resistant materials in structural engineering has highlighted the growing potential of aluminium alloys in modern construction. Among these, concrete-filled aluminium tubes (CFATs) are attractive due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance. This study investigates the structural performance of CFAT stub columns fabricated from 6082-T6 aluminium alloy, which is well suited for structural applications. Despite the advantages of aluminium CFATs, experimental data on their cross-sectional response under combined axial compression and bending remain limited. To address this gap, the present work experimentally investigates CFAT stub columns subjected to eccentric axial loading. A total of eight specimens were tested under nominal eccentricities of 0, 5, 10, and 15 mm. A finite element model was developed and validated against the experimental results, showing excellent agreement in terms of ultimate load capacity, load–displacement response and failure modes. A subsequent numerical parametric study examined the effects of tube thickness and cross-sectional aspect ratio, as well as uniaxial bending about the major and minor axes, to evaluate the influence of geometric parameters on structural performance. Although Eurocode 4 provides design guidance for steel–concrete composite members and Eurocode 9 addresses aluminium structures, specific design provisions for aluminium–concrete composite columns are currently lacking. By drawing on the relevant provisions of both Eurocodes, this study assesses the applicability of interaction curves for moment–compression cross-sectional behaviour using the obtained experimental and numerical results. The findings indicate that the proposed approach provides conservative predictions and offers a preliminary basis for design assessment within the investigated range of parameters.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Aluminium alloy; Composite structures; Concrete filled; Eccentric loading; Tubular sections; Eurocode 9 (EC9); Eurocode 4 (EC4); 4005 Civil Engineering; 40 Engineering; 0905 Civil Engineering; 1202 Building; 4005 Civil engineering
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Divisions:	Engineering and Built Environment
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	5 July 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	10 September 2026
Date Deposited:	10 Sep 2026 12:39
Last Modified:	10 Sep 2026 12:39
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.istruc.2026.112588
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29375

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