Cyclic test for solid steel reinforced concrete frames with special-shaped columns

Abstract

An experimental study was performed to investigate the seismic performance of solid steel reinforced concrete (SRC) frames with special-shaped columns that are composed of SRC special-shaped columns and reinforced concrete beams. For this purpose, two models of two-bay and three-story frame, including an edge frame and a middle frame, were designed and tested. The failure process and patterns were observed. The mechanical behaviors such as load-displacement hysteretic loops and skeleton curves, load bearing capacity, drift ratio, ductility, energy dissipation and stiffness degradation of test specimens were analyzed. Test results show that the failure mechanism of solid SRC frame with special-shaped columns is the beam-hinged mechanism, satisfying the seismic design principle of "strong column and weak beam". The hysteretic loops are plump, the ductility is good and the capacity of energy dissipation is strong, indicating that the solid SRC frame with special-shaped columns has excellent seismic performance, which is better than that of the lattice SRC frame with special-shaped columns. The ultimate elastic-plastic drift ratio is larger than the limit value specified by seismic code, showing the high capacity of collapse resistance. Compared with the edge frame, the middle frame has higher carrying capacity and stronger energy dissipation, but the ductility and speed of stiffness degradation are similar. All these can be helpful to the designation of solid SRC frame with special-shaped columns.