Seismic performance of full-scale reinforced concrete columns

This paper presents results of simulated seismic tests conducted on five full-scale reinforced concrete columns to investigate the influence of P-Δ effect on the relationships between curvature ductility and displacement ductility or drift capacity. Experimental results show that the shear span-depth ratio at high axial load levels can significantly reduce the member performance of columns due to the P-Δ effect. Findings also indicate that axial load applied on a column plays an important role in determining the plastic hinge length. As the plastic hinge length depends on the axial load, the relationship between the sectional and member behaviors is affected by the axial load. On unexpected and undesirable finding was that the 135-degree hooked anchorages used in the first specimen opened during the scaled column tests, necessitating the need for longer hook lengths in other specimens.