Experimental study on the axial compression behavior and lateral performance of cold-formed corrugated steel-foam concrete composite walls

Corrugated steel plates have recently been introduced into cold-formed steel (CFS) wall systems due to their unique geometry and high out-of-plane stiffness, which can enhance structural stability and load transfer. Incorporating lightweight foam concrete infill within such walls can further improve their axial and lateral performance by providing additional compressive strength, energy dissipation, and local buckling restraint, while maintaining a lightweight construction. Despite the potential benefits, experimental data on CFS-foam concrete composite walls reinforced with corrugated steel plates remain limited, particularly regarding the influence of corrugation orientation under combined axial and lateral loading. This study presents a comprehensive experimental investigation of the mechanical behavior of novel CFS-foam concrete composite walls incorporating internal corrugated steel plates. Four full-scale wall specimens were fabricated, consisting of cold-formed steel framing, an internal corrugated steel plate, exterior magnesium crystal board sheathing, and lightweight foam concrete infill. Two main corrugation orientations, vertical and horizontal, were considered to examine their effect on structural performance. The specimens were subjected to separate axial compression tests and in-plane lateral loading tests. Key response parameters, including load-displacement behavior, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and failure modes, were systematically measured and analyzed. The results demonstrate that corrugation orientation significantly influences both the axial and lateral response of the composite walls. Specimens with vertically oriented corrugations exhibited higher axial load-bearing capacity and achieved larger peak loads under lateral loading, while specimens with horizontally oriented corrugations showed improved deformation capacity and enhanced energy dissipation during lateral tests. Failure modes varied correspondingly, with vertical corrugations promoting earlier local buckling of the steel plate, whereas horizontal corrugations encouraged distributed yielding and delayed post-peak degradation. The findings provide valuable insights into the behavior and failure mechanisms of CFS-foam concrete composite walls and offer experimental evidence to guide the design of more efficient and resilient prefabricated wall systems. This study contributes to a better understanding of the role of corrugated steel plates in composite wall systems and supports their potential application in lightweight, high-performance CFS structural frameworks.