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Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article Special issue

Hybrid Composite Behavior of Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) Columns: Review of Collapse Mechanisms and Polymer-Based Enhancements

  1. Vishwas Pramod Kulkarni Department of Civil Engineering, Ajeenkya D Y Patil University
  2. Arjun Rama Vasatkar Department of Civil Engineering, Ajeenkya D Y Patil University

Abstract

Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) columns are an advanced hybrid composite system where the steel tube's confinement and the concrete core's load capacity work together to improve structural performance. While commonly used in civil engineering, CFSTs can also be understood within the framework of composite materials, similar to polymer- and fiber-reinforced composites, in which interactions between phases determine strength, ductility, and failure modes. This review compiles experimental and numerical research on the collapse of CFST columns under various boundary conditions, focusing on how steel–concrete interactions affect load capacity, deformation, and failure. Recent innovations, including fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), nanomaterials, rubberized concrete, and sustainable fillers, are discussed to expand CFST applications into polymer-composite fields. The role of advanced finite element analysis (FEA) and machine learning in predicting collapse behavior, especially with hybrid or polymer-based materials, is also covered. By viewing CFSTs as multifunctional composite systems, this work connects structural mechanics with polymer science, highlights gaps in current knowledge, and suggests future research into incorporating polymers, fibers, and recycled fillers to develop next-generation, high-performance, sustainable composite columns suitable for extreme conditions. Investigations into the long-term behavior of CFST columns, including creep, concrete core shrinkage, and steel tube corrosion, especially under variable environmental and loading conditions, are needed. The behavior of CFST columns at high temperatures and their residual strength after post-fire exposure are other critical areas requiring further experimental and numerical exploration.

Keywords

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