Seismic ductility of very-high-strength-concrete short columns subject to combined axial loading and cyclic lateral loading

The seismic ductility of reinforced very-high-strength-concrete (VHSC) short columns was studied by combinatively applying axial load and low cyclic lateral load on specimens to simulate seismic impact. Twelve specimens with concrete compressive strength ranging from 95.6 MPa to 118.6 MPa and a shear-span ratio of 2.0 were tested for shear failure pattern and fear force-displacement hysteretic responses. Combinative application of axial load and low cyclic lateral load to VHSC short columns incurs shear failure. The displacement ductility is much smaller when the axial load ratio is larger;whereas a larger stirrup ratio is accompanied with a better displacement ductility. The relationship of displacement ductility factor, μ?, with stirrup characteristic value, λv, and test axial load ratio, nt, is μ?=(1+8λv)/(0.33+nt). By this relationship and relevant codes for aseismatic design, the axial load ratio limits for aseismatic design of reinforced VHSC (C95 to C100) short columns for frame construction are respectively 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 for seismic classes I, II, and Ⅲ;corresponding minimum characteristic values of stirrups are calculated according to the required characteristic values of at least 1.273 times of experimental results. These data are very useful to aseismatic engineering.

The seismic ductility of reinforced very-high-strength-concrete （VHSC） short columns was studied by combinatively applying axial load and low cyclic lateral load on specimens to simulate seismic impact. Twelve specimens with concrete compressive strength ranging from 95.6 MPa to 118.6 MPa and a shear-span ratio of 2.0 were tested for shear failure pattern and fear force-displacement hysteretic responses. Combinative application of axial load and low cyclic lateral load to VHSC short columns incurs shear failure. The displacement ductility is much smaller when the axial load ratio is larger; whereas a larger stirrup ratio is accompanied with a better displacement ductility. The relationship of displacement ductility factor,μ△, with stirrup characteristic value, λv, and test axial load ratio, nt, is μ△=（1＋8λv）/（0.33＋nt）. By this relationship and relevant codes for aseismatic design, the axial load ratio limits for aseismatic design of reinforced VHSC （C95 to C100） short columns for frame construction are respectively 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 for seismic classes Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ; corresponding minimum characteristic values of stirrups are calculated according to the required characteristic values of at least 1.273 times of experimental results. These data are very useful to aseismatic engineering.