International Concrete Abstracts Portal

This paper presents important revisions to the shear strength provisions for seismic assessment of reinforced concrete columns in ACI CODE-369.1-22. A new formulation based on a strut-and-tie model is introduced to expand the range of application of existing provisions to include columns with shear span-depth ratios lower than 2. Revisions are proposed to the slender column provisions to improve their precision, reduce estimate bias, and eliminate instances where they produce unconservative estimates of shear strength. The proposed relations were calibrated using shear strength data from 94 shear-critical rectangular columns subjected to load reversals from a database developed at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

The present study demonstrates the feasibility of using longitudinal hybrid reinforcement in concrete columns in seismic zones. In this research, four concrete columns were constructed and subjected to quasi-static cyclic loading, featuring a combination of steel and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) longitudinal reinforcement. Two reference columns were fabricated and reinforced in the longitudinal direction with steel bars. These columns had a 400 x 400 mm (15.8 x 15.8 in.) cross section and 1850 mm (72.8 in.) overall height. All the columns were reinforced with GFRP crossties and spirals in the horizontal direction. The variable parameters were the transverse reinforcement spacing, axial load ratio, and column configuration. The outcomes of this research clearly showed that reinforced concrete (RC) columns that are properly designed and detailed longitudinally with hybrid reinforcement (GFRP/steel) could achieve the drift limitation in building codes with no strength degradation. Further, these hybrid-RC columns displayed enhanced energy dissipation capacity, superior ductility, and improved post-earthquake recoverability compared to columns reinforced longitudinally with steel. The promising results of this study represent a step toward the use of longitudinal hybrid reinforcement in lateral-resisting systems.

Lap-splicing of longitudinal reinforcing bars in shear walls is often encountered in practice, and the transfer of forces in lap-spliced reinforcing bars to the surrounding concrete depends on the bond strength. Buildings with shear walls during an earthquake develop plastic hinges in the shear walls, particularly where the reinforcing bars are lap-spliced. Brittle failure is commonly observed in lap-spliced reinforced shear walls, which needs to be minimized by choosing the appropriate percentage of lap-spliced reinforcing bars. Therefore, it is essential to address the detailing of the lap-spliced regions of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls. Several seismic design codes provide guidelines on lap-spliced detailing in shear walls related to its location, length of lap-splice, confinement reinforcement, and percentage of reinforcing bars to be lap-spliced. In this study, the percentage of reinforcing bars to be lap-spliced at a section is examined with staggered lap-splicing of 100, 50, and 33% of longitudinal reinforcing bars, in addition to a control RC shear wall without lap-splicing. This study tested four half-scale RC shear walls with boundary element (BE), designed as per IS 13920 and ACI 318, under quasi-static reversed cyclic loading. From the experimental study, it is observed that the staggered lap splicing of reinforcing bars nominally reduces the performance of shear walls under cyclic load in terms of the reduced flexural strength, deformation capacity, energy dissipation, and ductility of the shear walls compared to the control shear wall without lap splicing. It is also observed that the unspliced reinforcing bars do not sustain the cyclic loading in staggered lap-splice after the postpeak. Current provisions of ACI 318, Eurocode 2, and IS 13920 recommend staggered lap-splice detailing in shear walls. However, from the current study, shear walls with different percentages of staggered lap-splices show that the staggered lap-splice detailing in shear walls does not improve its seismic performance.

Coastal reinforced concrete (RC) bridges are critical infrastructures, yet they face significant threats from corrosion due to saline environments and extreme loads such as wave-induced forces and seismic events. This state-of-the-art review examines the resilience of corrosion-damaged RC bridges under such conditions. It compiles advanced methodologies and technological innovations to assess and enhance durability and safety. Key highlights include synthesizing loss estimation models with advanced reliability methods for a robust resilience assessment framework. Analyzing catastrophic bridge failures and environmental deterioration, the review underscores the urgent need for innovative materials and protective technologies. It emphasizes advanced analytical models including performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) to evaluate combined impacts. The findings advocate for engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) and advanced sensor systems for improved realtime monitoring and resilience. Future research should focus on developing comprehensive resilience models accounting for corrosion, seismic, and wave-induced loads to enhance infrastructure safety and sustainability.

In this study, a shear strengthening method for lightly reinforced concrete columns with partial height masonry infills was proposed. Perforated steel jackets are attached to one face or both faces of the column without removing the cover concrete and mortar finish. The steel jackets were designed to provide additional shear resistance to the column through the interlocking of the ribs at both ends. To investigate the seismic strengthening effects, six column specimens with partial masonry infills were tested under cyclic loading. The tests showed that the specimens with double-face jacketing exhibited an improved seismic performance, whereas there was little or no strengthening effect for the specimens with single-face jacketing. For further investigation on the short column effects due to partial height infills, modeling parameters to define the stiffness and force-deformation relation of the column and masonry walls were proposed, and the modeling results were compared with the test results. Based on the investigation results, the detailing requirements of steel jacketing and the nonlinear modeling methods of the columns with partial masonry infills were discussed.