A total of 16 concrete encased steel stub columns (SRC) were tested under monotonic compression to study the effect of concrete confinement provided by the cross-H steel shape. Based on the test results obtained, it is concluded as: (1) cross-H steel shapes are able to provide obvious confinement to the concrete, but the mechanism of the confinement is different from that of transverse reinforcing bars. (2) cross-H steel shape doesn't provide obvious concrete confinement until the concrete stress reaches 80% of the unconfined concrete compressive strength. (3) the shape of the concrete region confined by cross-H steel shape is more likely a shape that connect the tip of the flange to the tip of the neighboring flange by an arc; (4) the confined concrete stress-strain shape is basically independent of the with-to-thickness ratio of the flange within the research range; (5) a stress-strain relationship is proposed for the concrete confined by cross-H steel shape based on the test data obtained.