Shear and Flexural Behavior of RC Columns with Rectangular Hollow Cross-Sections Under Cyclic Loading.

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Earthquake Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are critical structural components.
• Hollow rectangular cross-sections offer potential material savings but require seismic behavior evaluation.
• Understanding flexural and shear performance under seismic loads is essential for design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally and analytically investigate the seismic behavior of RC columns with hollow rectangular cross-sections.
• To assess the influence of hollow sections on flexural and shear performance.
• To evaluate the accuracy of existing design equations and analytical models.

Main Methods:

• Experimental testing of hollow-section RC column specimens under cyclic lateral loading.
• Varying shear span ratios and failure modes in specimen design.
• Nonlinear finite element analysis for simulating structural response.

Main Results:

• Flexure-dominated hollow columns demonstrated stable load-deformation and sustained seismic performance.
• Hollow cross-sections had minimal impact on flexural strength and bar strain.
• Conventional shear strength equations underestimated performance; using equivalent cross-sectional area improved accuracy.
• Nonlinear finite element analysis accurately predicted flexural behavior, with conservative estimates for shear-dominated cases.

Conclusions:

• RC columns with hollow rectangular cross-sections exhibit promising seismic behavior, particularly when flexure governs.
• Existing shear strength calculations may require modification for hollow sections.
• Analytical models can effectively simulate seismic responses, aiding in the design of these components for building structures.