Study of Effects of Lateral Confinement on Concrete Columns Reinforced With Tmt Bars

Abstract The details of experimental testing of full-scale reinforced concrete (RC) columns are presented in this paper. These columns were reinforced with hot-rolled thermo-mechanically treated (TMT) bars with yield strength higher than recommended in the prevalent manufacturing standards. The parameters of the study were the concrete confinement and concrete core area which were investigated using three specimen columns having lap-spliced longitudinal bars at the base. Although the initial cracks in all the columns were similar, the severely damaged region shifted in the vicinity of the end of dowel bars in the column with lesser confinement due to rebar slip. This type of behaviour influenced flexural rigidity and curvature distribution for this specimen. The maximum lateral load capacity and ductility of the specimen with lesser confinement were also the lowest. On the contrary, the specimen with higher confinement and core concrete area exhibited the highest stiffness and load capacity.