Numerical analysis of the seismic performance of RHC-PVCT short columns

This paper presents the results of cyclic loading tests on new high-strength concrete (HC) short columns. The seismic performance and deformation capacity of three reinforced high-strength concrete filled Polyvinyl Chloride tube (RHC-PVCT) short columns and one reinforced high-strength concrete (RHC), under pseudo-static tests (PSTs) with vertical axial force was evaluated. The main design parameters of the columns in the tests were the axial compression ratio, confinement type, concrete strength, height-diameter ratio of PVCT. The failure modes, hysteretic curves, skeleton curves of short columns were presented and analyzed. Placing PVCT in the RHC column could be remarkably improved the ultimate strength and energy dissipation of columns. However, no fiber element models have been formulated for computing the seismic responses of RHC-PVCT columns with PVT tubes filled with high-strength concrete. Nonlinear finite element method (FEM) was conducted to predict seismic behaviors. Finite element models were verified through a comparison of FEM results with experimental results. A parametric study was then performed using validated FEM models to investigate the effect of several parameters on the mechanical properties of RHC-PVCT short columns. The parameters study indicated that the concrete strength and the ratio of diameter to height affected the seismic performance of RHC-PVCT short column significantly.