Effect of local corrosion on the axial compression behavior of circular steel tubes

Abstract The sustainability of spatial structures, where the main bearing members are steel tubes, is becoming more and more prominent. In order to investigate the effect of local corrosion on the mechanical properties and ultimate compressive strength of circular steel tubes, outdoor accelerated corrosion tests on 11 steel tubes were conducted considering the effects of different corrosion locations and corrosion degrees. The experimental results showed that the ultimate bearing capacity of the specimens was significantly affected by local corrosion, and the corrosion in the middle of the tube was more unfavorable than that in the end. Moreover, local corrosion can change the failure phenomenon of circular steel tubes. Finite element analysis on the bearing capacity of circular steel tubes after local corrosion was carried out, and the reliability of the simulation method was verified by comparison with experimental findings. The stress evolution on different sections during axial compression was also analyzed. Finally, the effect of different corrosion conditions on the bearing capacity was studied using parametric analysis. The analysis results demonstrated that the circumferential corrosion ratio and corrosion depth are important indices to evaluate the corrosion effect. Meanwhile, it was found that the corrosion location has a significant impact on the residual bearing capacity of tubes; however, the impact decreases with the increase in circumferential corrosion ratio and corrosion depth. The research results of the present work can provide a technical reference for the study of the mechanical properties of building components, such as round steel tubes, after corrosion.