Overview of application of concrete filled tube (CFT) in structural engineering

Over the past a couple of decades, considerable research efforts have been devoted to the behaviours of concrete filled tube (CFT) because of their superior strength and stiffness characteristics for structural applications. Currently steels are the major materials for tube. However, in the last few years, researchers are investigating alternative tube materials because steels have the disadvantages of high weight and poor corrosion resistance. For this purpose, fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) are being studied as replacements of steels because they are light and highly corrosion resistant. However, application of FRP in structural engineering is still in early phase as the compatibility with other materials is yet to be fully investigated. A comprehensive overview of the researches involved in CFT is discussed in this paper with particular attention on recent developments with FRP as the tube materials. Furthermore, a brief discussion about on-going research at Central Queensland University about behaviour of FRP tube (‘CAN’) filled with concrete under uniaxial load is presented.