Influence of Axial Compression Ratio on Drift Capacity of RC Columns

Abstract eng:
RC columns in modern buildings are often subject to high compression force, which can lead to premature compression failure and reinforcement buckling. To ensure adequate drift capacity can be achieved, several design codes limit the allowed axial force to strength ratio (AFR) specific to a ductility class. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on what are the suitable limits to use in preventing the undesirable failures of the vertical members. Some design codes even do not limit the AFR in design. To resolve this issue, this paper presents a scientific revisit on the AFR effect on RC columns, which is conjugated with a comprehensive statistical analysis of 474 sets of experimental data. It was found that the drift capacity of the columns decreases with increasing AFR. In particular after AFR > 40, increasing amount of confining reinforcement is no longer as effective in enhancing the drift capacity as it is in the low AFR level. Yet, the lateral strength increase with increasing AFR. To guarantee desirable seismic performances of RC columns, the AFR should be limited in the design. The results also suggest that different AFR limits may be used for slender and short RC columns due to different failure mechanisms.

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