The optimal strut-and-tie models (STMs) of two typical irregular concrete deep beams were constructed using evolutionary structural optimization and compared with those of previous studies. The reinforced concrete deep beam specimens were cast according to the reinforcement designs guided by different STMs. Eight irregular concrete deep beam specimens were experimentally investigated under stepped loading, and the differences in the amount of steel used, the load-carrying capacity, and the failure pattern of the different specimens were analyzed. The results show that the optimal STMs proposed in this study have significant advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness and can simultaneously ensure the load-carrying capacity, delay the crack propagation of irregular concrete deep beams, and reduce the amount of steel used in structural members. Therefore, they have an important engineering application value for the reinforcement design of irregular concrete deep beams.

A static loading test was carried out on a 1/3‐scale concrete‐filled square steel tubular column‐steel beam frame (CFSTSBF) specimen with 2 spans to study its progressive collapse behaviors under the middle column failure scenario using the alternate load path method and to examine the failure mode and load transfer and main resistance mechanisms of the residual structure. Then, theoretical models of the specimen, involving the whole collapse process, were developed, and the resistance and deformation relationships of each model were calculated and validated with test results. The results indicated that the specimen collapse process includes the elastoplastic stage, plastic stage, transfer stage, and catenary stage, the beam mechanism and catenary mechanism were the principal mechanisms for the structure against progressive collapse, and catenary action can significantly strengthen structural resistance. The modified theoretical models with higher practical accuracy could be used to assess structural performances against progressive collapse.

To study the interfacial bond‐slip performance of concrete‐filled square steel tubes (CFSSTs), taking the core concrete strength, slenderness ratio, and width‐to‐thickness ratio as the influencing factors; 9 specimens were designed with 3 factors and 3 levels for the orthogonal test method. In addition, different from the above 9 specimens, one specimen without rust removal was designed for the purpose of comparison. Based on the bond stress distribution and deformation coordination relationships between the specimens during the push‐out tests, a theoretical formula for calculating the relative slip of a CFSST was deduced. The results show that with the increase of load, the relative slip at the loading ends was earlier than that at the free ends of the specimens; the interfacial bond failure and relative slip gradually developed from the two ends towards the centre of the specimens; the increase of the bond stress in the middle part was faster than that at the ends of the specimens. The order of these factors from main to secondary is the presence of rust in the inner wall of the square steel tube, the slenderness ratio, the core concrete strength, and the width‐to‐thickness ratio.

This study investigates the issues of non-unique model configurations and insufficient guidance for reinforcement design encountered when applying the strut-and-tie model (STM) method to reinforced concrete deep beams with openings. Using concrete deep beam specimens with three openings as a case study, the topology optimization method was employed to establish the initial STM, which was subsequently refined through crack propagation simulation technology to develop the final optimized STM for guiding reinforcement design. Experimental investigations and comparative analyses with existing literature demonstrate that the proposed approach offers significant advantages in controlling initial concrete cracking, improving structural load-bearing capacity, and reducing steel reinforcement consumption for such perforated deep beams designed with this optimized STM methodology.

The bond-slip behavior between cold-formed thin-walled steel (CTS) and foamed concrete (FC) is a critical issue in the mechanical performance of FC-filled CTS composite wall structures. Thus, this study provides experimental and theoretical research on the bond-slip behavior between CTS and FC. A total of eleven specimens were tested using push-out configurations, considering the number of web holes, foamed concrete (FC) strength, anchorage length, and CTS section splice form. A constitutive model for bond-slip was proposed, and the regression formulas for accurately predicting the characteristic bond strength between CTS and foamed concrete were established. A finite element model was developed to investigate the bond-slip mechanism at the interface between CTS and FC. The bond-slip constitutive model accurately fits the experimental and finite element results. The results indicate that the ultimate bond strength of the specimens increases with the number of web holes; when the number of web holes reaches two, the ultimate bond strength is 155.4% of that of the non-perforated specimens. As the concrete strength increases from 3.43 MPa to 11.26 MPa, the ultimate bond strength of specimens with two web holes improves by 23.1%, while non-perforated specimens have a 54.7% enhancement. When the anchorage length is extended from 200 mm to 400 mm, the ultimate bond strength decreases by 29.3%. Additionally, when steel sections are joined in a double-span I form, the bond strength increases by 91.6% and 95.8% compared to the single-span form and the double-span box form, respectively.