Effect of Precast Concrete Walls on the Behavior of Mortar-Filled Steel Hollow Section Frames

This research aims to investigate the effect of precast concrete walls on the behavior of mortar-filled steel hollow section frames. Two frames, one with walls and one without, were constructed and tested under pushover loading. The results show that incorporating precast walls significantly increases load-bearing capacity and structural stiffness, but decreases ductility. The frame with precast walls was able to withstand a maximum load of 56.742 kN with a deformation of 6.97 mm, while the frame without walls could only handle a maximum load of 34.182 kN with a deformation of 18.5 mm. The ductility analysis shows that the structure with precast walls has a ductility index of 1.163, while the frame without walls achieves a value of 2.68. The lower ductility in the structure with walls is due to its higher stiffness, which causes faster strength degradation after reaching peak capacity. This shows the typical features of precast walls, where increased stiffness and load capacity often limit inelastic deformation. Generally, this research confirms that adding precast walls to hollow section stell frames can effectively enhance their strength and stiffness in resisting lateral loads.