Experimental Study of Seismic Behavior of High-Strength RC Columns Strengthened with CFRP Subjected to Cyclic Loading

Abstract

Eight high-strength RC columns confined by carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets and two control specimens are tested under cyclic lateral load and constant axial load. The effectiveness of the high-strength RC column strengthened by CFRP to enhance its ductility and earthquake-resistance is described at high and low axial compression ratios. Failure patterns, hysteresis curves, skeleton curves, ductility, and strain distribution analysis of the columns are studied systematically in tests. The results show that the ductility and the seismic behavior of columns are obviously improved by wrapping CFRP around the columns, and the strengthening mode of the horizontal full reinforcement can achieve better seismic performance than horizontal strap reinforcement. A new strength model for predicting the lateral ultimate capacity of rectangular concrete columns strengthened with CFRP subjected to cyclic loading is proposed. The results of the model agree well with test results in this paper and in other relevant literature.