STUDY OF REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE FILLED UPVC PIPES AS COLUMNS

Abstract

Steel columns are extensively used in high-rise buildings wherein very high axial loads and moments are to be transferred. These steel sections have traditionally been open sections such as I-section or H-section. During the past a decade or so, however, tubular sections in high strength steel have facilitated the use of steel in high-rise buildings much to its advantages. The hollow space within the tube has been further used to advantage by filling it with concrete. This has given rise to a composite section for column which primarily is in steel and supplemented by concrete with a minor amount of reinforcement to take care of problems related to creep and shrinkage. This type composite section has been popularly used in developed countries wherein availability of steel and welding technology is no problem. In the present thesis work, columns are required to transfer small amount of axial load and moment arising in low cost housing units. Single or 2-storey buildings as dwelling units for low income groups of people needs appropriate kind of technology so as to make the buildings durable and cost-effective. PVC pipes readily available for piping work, is intended to be studied for its effectiveness in being used as columns. This type of columns is generally referred to as Concrete-Filled Tube (CFT). Performance of such CFT's is the main stay of study in this thesis. A total of 24 samples of Reinforced Cement Concrete Filled UPVC Tubes (CFUTs) were cast using M25 and M40 grade of concrete m The parameters studied were the effects of different diameter to thickness ratios and length to diameter ratios on axial loading of UPVC columns. Amount of confinement achieved for each specimen for both loaded and concrete loaded specimens was also studied. Durability study was also carried out by curing specimens in sea water. And four . specimens were casted without reinforcement and their results were compared with models available in literature for confined concrete.