This paper conducted an experimental study focusing on the axial compressive behavior of circular concrete-encased concrete-filled steel tubular (CFDST) columns composed of a circular inner steel tube under active confinement. The investigation aimed to explore the impact of concrete compressive strength grades and diameter-to-thickness ratio of steel tubes in the presence of hydrostatic pressure. The effects of varying outer diameter-to-thickness ratios (44, 45.6, 85.84, and 86) and concrete compressive strength grades (10 and 20 MPa) on the performance of CFDST columns were investigated in this paper. Additionally, the study considered the impact of two inner steel tube diameter-to-thickness ratios (20.5 and 39). The experimental results demonstrated that external pressure can significantly enhance both the load-carrying capacity and ductility of the specimens. The ultimate strength of the columns was improved by a minimum of 34% and a maximum of 92%. Finally, empirical formulas for predicting the axial compression capacity of CFDST under active confinement using gene expression programming were presented. The accuracy of the proposed model was then assessed by the artificial neural network, and the results indicate that both models perform well when compared to the empirical equations that take into account the hydrostatic pressure of wet concrete.
