Simultaneous Shear and Axial Failures of Reinforced Concrete Columns

摘要

Axial failure of columns can lead to collapse of a building. Reinforced concrete columns in buildings constructed before modern seismic design codes were enforced may contain inadequate transverse reinforcement. Columns with these ties may experience simultaneous shear/axial failures when subjected to displacement reversals similar to those caused by earthquake ground motions. In order to prevent the collapse of buildings during an earthquake, engineers must be able to identify columns that may experience simultaneous shear/axial failures. The standard for evaluation of existing buildings, ASCE/SEI 41-06, outlines guidelines to estimate drift levels associated with axial failure for reinforced concrete columns. However, when the procedure outlined by this standard was used to evaluate the reinforced concrete column specimens of several research studies it was found that the standard failed to identify columns prone to simultaneous shear/axial failures. Due to the limited number of known specimens in the literature that have suffered simultaneous failures there is a need for additional testing of specimens that will exhibit this type of behavior. This need is being addressed by the ongoing NEESR Grand Challenge Project “Non-ductile Reinforced Concrete Buildings.”