Safety evaluation of slender high-strength concrete columns under sustained loads

A realistic analysis of the reliability of slender high-strength concrete (HSC) columns must include the long-term effects of sustained loads. In this paper, the long-term reliability of eccentrically loaded slender HSC columns under sustained loads is evaluated. The reliability of slender reinforced concrete columns representing normal-strength concrete and HSC is investigated. Since most of the variables involved in column design (material properties, geometric characteristics, loads, etc.) are random, probabilistic methods are used in the analysis. The effects of the concrete compressive strength, amount of longitudinal steel, load eccentricity, and slenderness ratio on the column reliability are investigated. It was found that all these factors have a considerable impact on the resulting column reliability. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.