Finite element analysis on seismic performance of EWECS composite column

Abstract

A new hybrid Engineering Wood Encased Concrete-Steel (EWECS) structural system is developed in Japan to solve the limitation of story number for wooden structure. In this structural system, the EWECS column consist of concrete encased steel (CES) core and wood panel as a column cover. An experimental study has been done to investigate the seismic performance of the EWECS column, which is compared with CES column without concrete cover. The main parameter is the presence of wood panel. In order to validate the experimental results, a 3D finite element (FE) model is built by using ANSYS APDL v.14. The FE results indicate that FE EWECS column model has excellent performance, which has a stable spindle-shape hysteresis loops. The presence of wood panel contributes to improve the maximum flexural capacity of the EWECS column about 13%. In addition, the stress distribution on the FE models has good correlation with failure mode of the EWECS column specimens. Generally, the numerical results are able to accurately simulate the seismic behaviour of the EWECS column on test results.