Development of Partially Encased Composite Columns for use in Steel Shear Walls for Seismic Applications

Partially encased composite columns consist of a welded thin-plate H-shaped steel section with concrete cast between the flanges. Transverse steel links are welded between the flanges, spaced at regular intervals, to enhance the resistance of the flanges to local buckling. Although they were developed originally to resist gravity loading in mid- and high-rise buildings, they are currently being investigated for applications as the vertical boundary elements in steel shear walls in both low and high seismic zones. The paper provides an overview of several developments from a major ongoing investigation leading up to a recent large-scale test of a steel shear wall that incorporates partially encased composite columns. Key results from the various components of the research program are presented