Description
This is a guide for testing reinforced concrete structural elements under slowly applied simulated seismic loading. The tests are primarily intended for assessing strength, stiffness, and deformability of elements under earthquake effects. Integrated are guidelines on primary stages of structural testing, including design and preparation of test specimens, materials testing, instrumentation, test procedure and loading regime, test observations and data collection, and reporting of test observations and test data. Emphasis is on the correlation of test data and predetermined structural performance levels to enable performance-based design practices. Drift ratio is adopted as the primary performance indicator. Increments of drift ratio are used in describing the loading history. More refined deformation components are used to describe element performance levels and assist in establishing whether a given test specimen meets the requirements of a specific performance level.
This guide summarizes ASCE 41-06 performance levels as operational, immediate occupancy, life safety, and collapse prevention. It outlines different types of structural elements and subassemblies that may be tested, and identifies specific requirements for boundary conditions, instrumentation, and test setups. Unidirectional and bidirectional loading histories are described in terms of incrementally increasing lateral drift ratio cycles. Methods of recording and reporting essential components of deformation and force quantities are identified to correlate test data and target performance levels. This guide is intended to maximize the usefulness of information that can be acquired from experimental research. It is intended to complement guidelines for structural testing with specific focus. This guide is not intended for seismic qualification by testing agencies, though they can be used as resource materials for the development of such qualification protocols.
Keywords: cyclic loading; earthquake effects; instrumentation; performance-based design; performance levels; seismic design; seismic loads; structural concrete; structural testing; structural testing guidelines.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE
1.1—Introduction
1.2—Scope
CHAPTER 2—NOTATION AND DEFINITIONS
2.1—Notation
2.2—Definitions
CHAPTER 3—STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS
3.1—Operational structural performance level
3.2—Immediate occupancy structural performance level
3.3—Life safety structural performance level
3.4—Collapse prevention structural performance level
CHAPTER 4—TEST SPECIMENS AND TEST PROCEDURES
4.1—Specimen types
4.2—Analytical predictions
4.3—Material testing
4.4—Preparation of test specimens
4.5—Test setup, boundary conditions, and loads
4.6—Instrumentation and data acquisition
4.7—Execution of tests and test control parameters
4.8—Experimental observations
CHAPTER 5—LOADING PROGRAM AND LOADING HISTORY
5.1—Monotonic loading
5.2—Unidirectional load reversals
5.3—Bidirectional load reversals
CHAPTER 6—CORRELATION OF TESTS WITH PERFORMANCE LEVELS
CHAPTER 7—DOCUMENTATION OF TEST DATA AND TEST OBSERVATIONS,
CHAPTER 8—REFERENCES
Authored references