Seismic Performance of High-Strength Concrete Columns

The basic philosophy of the current ACI Code for confining concrete in earthquake design is that the
increase of the strength of the core of the column due to confinement must offset the loss of strength
due to spalling of the unconfined cover. The equatians given in the code are based on the assumption
that when a reinforced concrete column is subjected to uniaxial load the maximum capacity of the
confined core is reached when the unconfined cover starts spalling. It is not clear whether this
assumption is applicable for high strength concrete. The strains at which the cover concrete and
confined concrete -will reach their maximum capacities will depend on their respective stress-strain
curves. In this paper, based on several sets of experimental data, analytical expressions are proposed for
the stress-strain curves of confined and unconfined high-strength concrete. Using these analytical
expressions, moment-curvature relationships are predicted. The predicted curves were compared with
the experimental data of columns subjected to reversed lateral loading. Rased on the satisfactory
comparison for normal strength concrete columns, the theoretical model is then applied to high‘
strength concrete.

This paper presents the experimental results of six scaled high-strength concrete columns with concrete
compressive strengths of 76–86 MPa. Primary experimental parameters include axial loads ranging from
10 to 20% of column axial load-carrying capacity based on concrete gross section; longitudinal steel
ratios of 2.46 to 3.53% of the gross sectional area; and volumetric ratios of transverse reinforcement
ranging from 1.63 to 3.67%. Model columns with transverse reinforcement designed following the
seismic provisions of current code developed sufficient ductility, with displacement ductility factors
equal to or exceeding 6.0. The model columns designed with 50% of the transverse reinforcement
required by current code also developed sufficient ductility when the axial load was 10% of its axial load-
carrying capacity. Lateral load-carrying capacities of all the columns exceeded the flexural capacities
calculated based on the equivalent concrete stress block used in current design code. Seismic shear
strength of high-strength concrete columns was also examined, based on the test results and analytical
approaches.