Effect of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Cement Composite and Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete for Enhancing the Seismic Performance of Bridge Columns

Abstract

This article presents the seismic performance of scaled bridge columns using polypropylene fiber reinforced cement composite (PFRC), steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC), and reinforced concrete (RC) in combination with high strength longitudinal bars. The columns were subjected to combined axial and bilateral cyclic loading. Use of PFRC and SFRC mitigated damage of cover and core concrete, local buckling of longitudinal bars and strains induced in ties compared with the RC column. Damage mitigation and lateral confinement effect was superior in PFRC than SFRC. While PFRC and SFRC reduced the damage, their flexural strength and ductility capacity were similar with the RC column.