Experimental and numerical studies of concrete-filled corrugated steel tubular column under axial compression

•A novel composite structure of CFCST-PST column was proposed.•A series of axial compression experiments on CFCST columns were conducted.•The 3D refined FEM model was established, and parametric analysis was carried out.•The confinement mechanism of multi-cell steel tubular column was investigated.•Formulas to predict the ultimate axial strength of CFCST-PST were proposed.