Collapse Performance of Limited Ductile High-Strength RC Columns under Unidirectional Cyclic Actions

Abstract

The seismic behavior of ductile high-strength RC (HSRC) columns that are constructed in regions of high seismicity is well understood due to a number of experimental studies conducted over the last few decades. However, limited ductile HSRC columns commonly constructed in regions of lower seismicity have received significantly less attention. This paper presents the results of an experimental program conducted to study the collapse behavior of HSRC columns with limited ductile detailing under unidirectional lateral loading. The experimental program included six HSRC columns that were tested under quasi-static cyclic lateral loading until collapse occurred. The variables of the testing program were axial load ratio, amount of lateral confinement, and the concrete compressive strength. The paper concludes with a comparison against a force–drift model developed by the authors, which showed very good correlation with the experimental results.