• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2015

Many existing reinforced concrete (RC) columns in structures tend to become substandard RC ones due to updated standards or environmental changes. These substandard columns may alter the behaviors of the whole structure and therefore are in urgent need of seismic retrofitting. Owing to their superior advantages, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are widely used to retrofit RC columns. The applications mainly focus on various substandard RC columns, but few deals with substandard columns with deteriorated concrete, especially damaged by earthquake. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the seismic behaviors of CFRP reinforced partially deteriorated RC columns and to evaluate the effect of CFRP sheets on them. Six flexure-dominant columns were tested under a constant axial load and transverse cyclic displacements. It is found that the seismic behaviors of partially deteriorated columns can be recovered by wrapping CFRP sheets on them. Numerical analysis is then conducted using finite element methods and verified with experimental results. The effects of the axial load ratio, the ratio of the thickness of CFRP sheet to the column diameter, and the slenderness ratio on the seismic behaviors of CFRP reinforced RC columns are evaluated. Finally, a method is proposed to determine the required thickness of CFRP sheet.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2014

Damping as a material property plays an important role in decreasing dynamic response of structures. However, very little is known about the evaluation and application of the actual damping of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Confined Reinforced Concrete (FRP-C RC) material which is widely adopted in civil engineering at present. This paper first proposes a stress-dependent damping model for FRP-C RC material using a validated Finite Element Model (FEM), then based on this damping-stress relation, an iterative scheme is developed for the computations of the non-linear damping and dynamic response of FRP-C RC columns at any given harmonic exciting frequency. Numerical results show that at resonance, a considerable increase of the loss factor of the FRP-C RC columns effectively reduces the dynamic response of the columns, and the columns with lower concrete strength, FRP volume ratio and axial compression ratio or higher longitudinal reinforcement ratio have stronger damping values, and can relatively reduce the resonant response.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.193-209
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• 2014

Cyclic test of the columns is of practical relevance to the performance of compression members during an earthquake loading. The strength, ductility and energy absorption capabilities of reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to cyclic loading have been estimated by many researchers. These characteristics are not normally inherent in plain concrete but can be achieved by effectively confining columns through transverse reinforcement. An extensive experimental program, in which performance of four RC columns detailed according to provisions of ACI-318-08 was studied in contrast with that of four columns confined by a new proposed technique. This paper presents performance of columns reinforced by standard detailing and cast with 25 and 32 MPa concrete. The experimentally achieved load-displacement hysteresis and backbone curves of two columns are presented. The two approaches which work in conjunction with Response 2000 have been suggested to draw analytical back bone curves of RC columns. The experimental and analytical backbone curves are found in good agreement. This investigation gives a detail insight of the response of RC columns subjected to cyclic loads during their service life. The suggested analytical procedures will be available to the engineers involved in design to appraise the capacity of RC columns.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.163-180
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• 2014

Inaccurate predictions of effective stiffness for reinforced concrete (RC) columns having plain (undeformed) longitudinal rebars may lead to unsafe performance assessment and strengthening of existing deficient frames. Currently utilized effective stiffness models cover RC columns reinforced with deformed longitudinal rebars. A database of 47 RC columns (33 columns had continuous rebars and the remaining had spliced reinforcement) that were longitudinally reinforced with plain rebars was compiled from literature. The existing effective stiffness equations were found to overestimate the effective stiffness of columns with plain rebars for all levels of axial loads. A new approach that considers the contributions of flexure, shear and bond slip to column deflections prior to yielding was proposed. The new effective stiffness formulations were simplified without loss of generality for columns with and without lap-spliced plain rebars. In addition, the existing stiffness models for the columns with deformed rebars were improved while taking poor bond characteristics of plain rebars into account.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2018

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns which are the main vertical structural members are exposed to several static and dynamic effects such as earthquake and wind. However, impact loading that is sudden impulsive dynamic one is the most effective loading type acting on the RC columns. Impact load is a kind of impulsive dynamic load which is ignored in the design process of RC columns like other structural members. The behavior of reinforced concrete columns under impact loading is an area of research that is still not well understood; however, work in this area continues to be motivated by a broad range of applications. Examples include reinforced concrete structures designed to resist accidental loading scenarios such as falling rock impact; vehicle or ship collisions with buildings, bridges, or offshore facilities; and structures that are used in high-threat or high-hazard applications, such as military fortification structures or nuclear facilities. In this study, free weight falling test setup is developed to investigate the behavior effects on RC columns under impact loading. For this purpose, eight RC column test specimens with 1/3 scale are manufactured. While drop height and mass of the striker are constant, application point of impact loading, stirrup spacing and concrete compression strength are the experimental variables. The time-history of the impact force, the accelerations of two points and the displacement of columns were measured. The crack patterns of RC columns are also observed. In the light of experimental results, low-velocity impact behavior of RC columns were determined and interpreted. Besides, the finite element models of RC columns are generated using ABAQUS software. It is found out that proposed finite element model could be used for evaluation of dynamic responses of RC columns subjected to low-velocity impact load.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.455-468
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• 2011

Although retrofitting and strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) columns by wrapping fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have become a popular technique in civil engineering, the study on reinforced high-strength concrete (HSC) columns is still not sufficient. The objective of these companion papers is to investigate the mechanical properties of reinforced HSC square columns confined by aramid FRP (AFRP) jackets under concentric compressive loading. In the part I of these companion papers, an experiment was conducted on 54 confined RC specimens and nine unconfined plain specimens, the considered parameters were the concrete strength, the thickness of AFRP jackets, and the form of AFRP wrapping. The experimental process and results are presented in detail. Subsequently, some discussions on the confinement effect, failure modes, strength, and ductility of the columns are carried out.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.593-616
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• 2010

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns is a significant issue because the interaction of flexural ductility and shear capacity of such columns with varied amounts of lateral reinforcement is not well established. Several relationships between flexural ductility and shear capacity have been proposed by various researchers in the past. In this paper, a parametric study on RC bridge columns is conducted using a nonlinear finite element program, "Simulation of Concrete Structures (SCS)", developed at the University of Houston. SCS has been previously used to predict the seismic behavior of such columns. The predicted results were compared with the test results obtained from experiments available in literature. Based on the results of the parametric study performed in this paper, a set of new relationships between flexural ductility and shear capacity of RC columns is proposed for seismic design.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.517-520
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• 1999

In this study, the problem of strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) columns by a central steel section with minimum amount is taken up. For this purpose, RC columns with central reinforcing elements such as a steel bar, a steel H section and a steel pipe were taken up. To certify the effect of this way of reinforcing, experimental study using specimens of RC columns of shear span ratio of 2.5 was carried out. The variables which are considered to affect the behavior of RC columns subjected to axial load and cyclic shear load are the magnitude of axial load, tie ratio and main bar ratio. As the results of this study, the effect of a central reinforcing element for making higher the earthquake resistant properties of RC columns were observed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2018

A new composite reinforced method, namely self-compacting concrete filled circular CFRP-steel jacketing, was proposed in this paper. Experimental tests on eight RC square short columns reinforced with the new composite reinforced method and four RC square short columns reinforced with CFS jackets were conducted to investigate their eccentrically compressive behaviour. Nine reinforced columns were subjected to eccentrically compressive loading, while three reinforced columns were subjected to axial compressive loading as reference. The parameters investigated herein were the eccentricity of the compressive loading and the layer of CFRP. Subsequently, the failure mode, ultimate load, deformation and strain of these reinforced columns were discussed. Their failure modes included the excessive bending deformation, serious buckling of steel jackets, crush of concrete and fracture of CFRP. Moreover, these reinforced columns exhibited a ductile failure globally. Both the eccentricity of the compressive loading and the layer of CFRP had a significant effect on the eccentrically compressive behaviour of reinforced columns. Finally, formulae for the evaluation of the ultimate load of reinforced columns were proposed. The theoretical formulae based on the ultimate equilibrium theory provided an effective, acceptable and safe method for designers to calculate the ultimate load of reinforced columns under eccentrically compressive loading.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2020

A reliability analysis of the axial compressive load bearing capacity of postfire reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets was presented. A 3D finite element (FE) model was built for heat transfer analysis using software ABAQUS. Based on the temperature distribution obtained from the FE analysis, the residual axial compressive load bearing capacity of RC columns was worked out using the section method. Formulas for calculating the residual axial compressive load bearing capacity of the columns after fire exposure and the axial compressive load bearing capacity of postfire columns retrofitted with CFRP sheets were developed. Then the Monte Carlo method was used to analyze the reliability of the axial compressive load bearing capacity of the RC columns retrofitted with CFRP sheets using a code developed in MATLAB. The effects of fire exposure time, load ratio, number of CFRP layers, concrete cover thickness, and longitudinal reinforcement ratio on the reliability of the axial compressive load bearing capacity of the columns after fire were investigated. The results show that within 60 minutes of fire exposure time, the reliability index of the RC columns after retrofitting with two layers of CFRPs can meet the requirements of Chinese code GB 50068 (GB 2001) for safety level II. This method is effective and accurate for the reliability analysis of the axial load bearing capacity of postfire reinforced concrete columns retrofitted with CFRP.