Shake table tests of steel embedded composite columns under moderate near-fault motion

Abstract

Shaking table tests were conducted on steel-embedded composite columns with core structural steel on near fault ground motion (NFGM) to investigate their seismic behavior. Four composite columns and one reinforced concrete (RC) column with diameters of 400 mm and heights of 1400 mm were tested on a shake table, and one specimen was studied with a pseudodynamic test. A sliding steel frame, called the inertial force rig, was designed and implemented to completely support the inertial mass of the column and the shaking table system. The composite column with a higher steel ratio required more volumetric confinement steel in the plastic hinge region. For the steel embedded composite columns with an axial steel ratio of less than 2%, The same amount of confining steel as in the normal reinforced concrete columns was sufficient to obtain the required ductility for the composite columns with low steel ratio. Composite columns with an embedded steel tube at the center showed better displacement ductility than RC columns with similar steel ratios, but showed smaller energy absorption capacity. The effect of the lap splice in a composite column was not significant because the spliced reinforcing bars had a lower area than RC columns with a 50% lap splice. The shake table test specimen showed much less ductility than the pseudo-dynamic test specimen and more energy dissipation capability, while the maximum capacity of the composite column was the same for the different test methods.