Seismic strengthening of reinforced concrete columns damaged by rebar corrosion using combined CFRP and steel jacket

In order to study the effectiveness of combined carbon fiber-reinforced polymer （CFRP） sheets and steel jacket in strengthening the seismic performance of corrosion-damaged reinforced concrete （RC） columns, twelve reinforced concrete columns are tested under combined lateral cyclic displacement excursions and constant axial load. The variables studied in this program include effects of corrosion degree of the rebars, level of axial load, the amount of CFRP sheets and steel jacket. The results indicate that the combined CFRP and steel jacket retrofitting technique is effective in improving load-carrying, ductility and energy absorption capacity of the columns. Compared with the corrosion-damaged RC column, the lateral load and the ductility factor of many strengthened columns increase more than 90% and 100%, respectively. The formulae for the calculation of the yielding load, the maximum lateral load and the displacement ductility factor of the strengthened columns under combined constant axial load and cyclically increasing lateral loading are developed. The test results are also compared with the results obtained from the proposed formulae. A good agreement between calculated values and experimental results is observed.

Earthquake simulation test of circular reinforced concrete bridge column under multidirectional seismic excitation

Structures behave multi-directionally when subjected to earthquake excitation. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the effect of multidirectional loading on the dynamic response and seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge columns in order to develop more advanced and reliable design procedures. To investigate such effects, a 1/4 scaled circular reinforced concrete bridge column specimen was tested under two horizontal and one vertical components of a strong motion that has long duration with several strong pulses. Damage progress of reinforced concrete columns subjected to strong excitation was evaluated from the test. The test results demonstrate that the lateral force response in the principal directions become smaller than computed flexural capacity due to the bilateral flexural loading effects, and that the lateral response is not significantly affected by the fluctuation of the axial force because the horizontal response and axial force barely reached the maximum simultaneously due to difference of the predominant natural periods between the vertical and the horizontal directions. Accuracy of fiber analyses is discussed using the test results.

Experimental study on ductility improvement of reinforced concrete rectangular Columns retrofitted with a new fiber reinforced plastics method

Reinforced concrete （RC） columns lacking adequately detailed transverse reinforcement do not possess the necessary ductility to dissipate seismic energy during a major earthquake without severe strength degradation. In this paper, a new retrofit method, which utilized fiber-reinforced plastics （FRP） confinement mechanism and anchorage of embedded bars, was developed aiming to retrofit non-ductile large RC rectangular columns to prevent the damage of the plastic hinges. Carbon FRP （CFRP） sheets and glass FRP （GFRP） bars were used in this test, and five scaled RC columns were tested to examine the function of this new method for improving the ductility of columns. Responses of columns were examined before and after being retrofitted. Test results indicate that this new composite method can be very effective to improve the anti-seismic behavior of non-ductile RC columns compared with normal CFRP sheets retrofitted column.

Experimental study on slender reinforced concrete columns wrapped with CFRP

By axial compression tests on 6 reinforced concrete slender columns wrapped with carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP),with slenderness ratio(SR) from 4.5 to 17.5,the results show that when SR increases the retrofitting effect declines. In the case of same SR,the stability coefficient (SC) for the reinforced concrete(RC) columns with CFRP is much less than that without CFRP. There is 20% increase of stable bearing capacity to the former as compared with the latter when the SR in less than 17.5. The study summarized the simplified formula for SC,which provides a reference for engineering designers.

Mesoscopic investigation on seismic performance of corroded reinforced concrete columns

In addition to the normal service loadings,engineering structures may be subjected to occasional loadings such as earthquakes,which may cause severe destruction.When the steel rebar is corroded,the damage could be more serious.To investigate the seismic performance of corroded RC columns,a three-dimensional mesoscale finite element model was established.In this approach,concrete was considered as a three-phase composite composed of aggregate,mortar matrix and interfacial transition zone(ITZ).The nonlinear spring were used to describe the bond slip between steel and concrete.The degradation of the material properties of the steel rebar and cover concrete as well as the bonding performance due to corrosion were taken into account.The rationality of the developed numerical analysis model was verified by the good agreement between the numerical results and the available experimental observation.On this basis,the effect of corrosion level,axial force ratio and shear-span ratio on the seismic performance of corroded RC columns,including lateral bearing capacity,ductility,and energy consumption,were explored and discussed.The simulation results indicate that the mesoscopic method can consider the heterogeneity of concrete,to more realistically and reasonably reflect the destruction process of structures.

Ultimate flexural strength of normal section of FRP-confined RC circular columns

Numerical analysis is carried out to study the sectional properties of the fiber-reinforced polymer（FRP）-confined reinforced concrete（RC）circular columns. The axial load ratio, the FRP confinement ratio and the longitudinal reinforcement characteristic value are the three main parameters that can influence the neutral axis depth when concrete compression strain reaches an ultimate value. The formula for computing the central angle θ, corresponding to the compression zone, is established according to the data regression of the numerical analysis results. The numerical analysis results demonstrate that the concrete stress enhancement from transverse confinement and strain hardening of the longitudinal reinforcement can cause a much greater flexural strength than that defined by the design code. Based on the analytical studies and the test results of 36 large scale columns, the formula to calculate the flexural strength when columns fail under seismic loading is proposed, and the calculated results agree well with the test results. Finally, parametric studies are conducted on a typical column with different axial load ratios, longitudinal reinforcement characteristic value and FRP confinement ratios. Analysis of the results shows that the calculated flexural strength can be increased by 50% compared to that of unconfined columns defined by the code.

Experimental investigation on dynamic response and damage models of circular RC columns subjected to underwater explosions

Reinforced concrete(RC) columns are widely used as supporting structures for high-piled wharfs.The study of damage model of a RC column due to underwater explosion is a critical issue to assess the wharfs antiknock security.In this study,the dynamic response and damage model of circular RC columns subjected to underwater explosions were investigated by means of scaled-down experiment models.Experiments were carried out in a 10.0 m diameter tank with the water depth of 2.25 m,under different explosive quantities(0.025 kg-1.6 kg),stand-off distances(0.0 m-7.0 m),and detonation depths(0.25 m-2.0 m).The shock wave load and dynamic response of experiment models were measured by configuring sensors of pressure,acceleration,strain,and displacement.Then,the load distribution characteristics,time history of test data,and damage models related to present conditions were obtained and discussed.Three damage models,including bending failure,bending-shear failure and punching failure,were identified.In addition,the experie nce model of shock wave loads on the surface of a RC column was proposed for engineering application.

Residual drift spectra for RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

Permanent displacement of a bridge column can be directly measured during the inspection after near-fault earthquakes.However,the engineer needs to estimate the expected residual drift at the design stage to determine if the bridge seismic performance is satisfactory.The most direct method to estimate the residual displacement is nonlinear response history analysis,which is time consuming and cumbersome.Alternatively,an attractive but indirect method is generating estimated residual displacement spectra that depend on displacement ductility demand,column period,site conditions,and earthquake characteristics.Given the period and the expected displacement ductility demand for the column,the residual drift response spectra curves can be utilized to estimate the residual drift demand.Residual drift spectra that are applicable to RC bridge columns in different parts of the United States were developed based on nonlinear response history analyses using a comprehensive collection of recorded and synthetic near-fault ground motions and were linked to one-second spectral acceleration(S1)of the AASHTO maps.It was also found that the residual drift ratio is below one percent when S1 is less than 0.6 g.

Experimental study on seismic behavior of circular RC columns strengthened with pre-stressed FRP strips

Bonding fiber reinforced polymer （FRP） has been commonly used to improve the seismic behavior of circular reinforced concrete （RC） columns in engineering practice. However, FRP jackets have a significant stress hysteresis effect in this strengthening method, and pre-tensioning the FRP can overcome this problem. This paper presents test results of 25 circular RC columns strengthened with pre-stressed FRP strips under low cyclic loading. The pre-stressing of the FRP strips, types of FRP strips and longitudinal reinforcement, axial load ratio, pre-damage degree and surface treatments of the specimens are considered as the primary factors in the tests. According to the failure modes and hysteresis curves of the specimens, these factors are analyzed to investigate their effect on bearing capacity, ductility, hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation capacity and other important seismic behaviors. The results show that the initial lateral confined stress provided by pre-stressed FRP strips can effectively inhibit the emergence and development of diagonal shear cracks, and change the failure modes of specimens from brittle shear failure to bending or bending-shear failure with better ductility. As a result, the bearing capacity, ductility, energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity of the strengthened specimens are all significantly improved.

Bearing capacity of concrete filled bidirectional FRP tube subjected to axial compression

External confinement by fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is an efficient technique to increase the bearing capacity and ductility of concrete. To better study the mechanical behavior of bidirectional FRP confined concrete, the yield criterion of bidirectional FRP is presented based on the static equilibrium condition in this paper, and a model for calculating the bearing capacity of bidirectional FRP confined concrete is established. The model can capture the character of bidirectional FRP confined concrete. Effects of the confinement effect coefficient, the unconfined concrete strength and the material properties of FRP on bearing capacity are analyzed. Results show that each parameter has different effects on the bearing capacity of bidirectional FRP confined concrete.

Reliability analysis of reinforced concrete columns under combined seismic and blast loads

It is possible for certain building structures to encounter both the seismic load and blast load during their service life.With the development of the economy and the increase of security demand,the need for design of building structures against multi-hazard is becoming more and more obvious.Therefore,the damage analysis of building structures under the combined action of multiple hazards has become a very urgent requirement for disaster prevention and reduction.In this paper,the refined finite element model of reinforced concrete(RC)columns is established by using the explicit dynamic analysis software LS-DYNA.Combined with the Monte Carlo method,the damage law of RC columns under the combined action of random single earthquake or explosion disaster and multi-hazard is studied,and the damage groups are distinguished according to the damage index.Based on the support vector machine(SVM)algorithm,the dividing line between different damage degree groups is determined,and a rapid method for determining the damage degree of RC columns under the combined seismic and blast loads is proposed.Finally,suggestions for the design of RC column against multi-disaster are put forward.

Stiffness degradation-based damage model for RC members and structures using fiber-beam elements

To meet the demand for an accurate and highly efficient damage model with a distinct physical meaning for performance-based earthquake engineering applications, a stiffness degradation-based damage model for reinforced concrete （RC） members and structures was developed using fiber beam-column elements. In this model, damage indices for concrete and steel fibers were defined by the degradation of the initial reloading modulus and the low-cycle fatigue law. Then, section, member, story and structure damage was evaluated by the degradation of the sectional bending stiffness, rod-end bending stiffness, story lateral stiffness and structure lateral stiffness, respectively. The damage model was realized in Matlab by reading in the outputs of OpenSees. The application of the damage model to RC columns and a RC frame indicates that the damage model is capable of accurately predicting the magnitude, position, and evolutionary process of damage, and estimating stow damage more precisely than inter-story drift. Additionally, the damage model establishes a close connection between damage indices at various levels without introducing weighting coefficients or force-displacement relationships. The development of the model has perfected the damage assessment function of OpenSees, laying a solid foundation for damage estimation at various levels of a large-scale structure subjected to seismic loading.

Effects of Length and Location of Steel Corrosion on the Behavior and Load Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Columns

The effects of length and location of the steel corrosion on the structural behavior and load capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns have been investigated. Results of the accelerated corrosion process and eccentric load test are presented in detail. Effects of the location of the partial length, the corrosion level within partial length and the asymmetrical deterioration of the concrete section on the mechanical behavior and load capacity of corroded RC columns are discussed. It is found that the mechanical behavior and load carrying capacity of corroded RC columns are simultaneously affected by the above mentioned factors. For the corroded RC columns with large eccentricity, a higher corrosion level in the tensile corroded length and a greater asymmetrical deterioration of the concrete section can result in less ductile behavior and larger load reduction of the column; while for the corroded RC columns with small eccentricity, the less ductile behavior and the larger load reduction of the column may result from the higher corrosion level in the compressive corroded length and the greater asymmetrical deterioration of the concrete

Hysteretic Model for Corroded Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Bridge Column Under Seismic Loading

Additional hysteretic experiments for corroded rectangular reinforced concrete(RC)columns with an axial load ratio of 0.27 were implemented.A quasi-static cyclic lateral loading with constant axial force was subjected to tests.Herein,a modified ductility factor model for corroded RC column is developed on the basis of the previous work and additional experiments.The model involves the influence of both the corrosion ratio of longitudinal rebar and the axial load ratio.A four-linear envelope curve model concerning lateral load and displacement is proposed in a combination of determination rules of the peak point and the failure strength point.The hysteretic model of corroded RC columns is developed by considering both degraded unloading stiffness and reloading stiffness on the history peak point.The hysteretic model can predict the residual life of corroded RC columns under seismic loading.

Shear-critical reinforced concrete columns under various loading rates

This paper presents an experimental study of shear-governed reinforced concrete columns subjected to different loading rates. Four typical short columns were tested cyclically with loading rate of 0.05, 1, 3, and 5 Hz, simulating seismic load. Test result indicated that the loading rate does not affect the column behavior when the rate is up to 5 Hz. Furthermore, Carbon Nano-Fiber Aggregates （CNFAs） were utilized as internal sensors to detect the damage in the column. The test result shows that the CNFAs work well sensing the structural behavior. The CNFA output was further quantitatively correlated to the structural damage level. Finally, a finite element analytical model was constructed to describe the behavior of short columns with shear failure. The analytical model successfully modeled the cyclic loading test results.