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.

Study on seismic damage of SRHSC frame columns

The damage evolution in steel reinforced high strength concrete(SRHSC) frame columns was studied based on the test results of cyclic reversed loading experiment of 12 frame column specimens with various axial compression rations,stirrups ratios,steel rations and loading histories.The variation law of the ultimate bearing capacity,ultimate deformation and ultimate hysteretic energy dissipation of specimens under different loading protocols was obtained.The seismic damage characteristics,as well as strength and stiffness degradation,of SRHSC frame columns were analyzed.Based on the analysis of the nonlinear double parameters combination of deformation and energy,a damage model that can well reflect the mechanical characteristics of members subjected to a horizontal earthquake action was established by considering the effects of the number of the loading cycles on the ultimate resistance capacity(ultimate deformation and ultimate energy dissipation capacity) of members,and the loading history on damage,etc.According to the test results,the related parameters of the damage model were proposed.Finally,the damage model proposed was validated by the test results.Results indicated that the proposed damage model is theoretically more reasonable and can accurately describe the seismic damage evolution of the SRHSC frame columns.The results also can be used as a new theoretic reference for the establishment of damage-based earthquake-resistant design method of SRHSC members.