Load-Path Influence in the Response of RC Buildings Subjected to Biaxial Horizontal Loadings: Numerical Study

摘要

The study of the reinforced concrete (RC) columns' response to horizontal loads is of full importance to understand how earthquakes affect the integrity of structures, essentially those already built and especially vulnerable to this type of action, as is the case with many existing buildings on significant seismic activity zones which are not adequately prepared for that eventuality. Consequently, there is also the need to perform a significant number of experimental and numerical studies to understand how much the columns resistance is affected by the horizontal loading path combined with axial load. The present study focus on the comparison between the RC columns response when subjected to uniaxial and biaxial loading through a literature review of the experimental test data results. Additionally, a parametric study was performed to analyze the load-path influence in the columns response. Non-linear static pushover analysis were performed in more than 36 columns with different cross-sections, reinforcement ratios and axial load ratio, performing a total of 1300 analysis. The numerical results will be presented in terms of capacity curves, maximum strength comparison between the uniaxial and the biaxial response and several ratios were also determined to a do a better comparison.