EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON SQUARE AND RECTANGULAR CONCRETE COLUMNS CONFINED BY C-FRP

Studies on FRP-confined circular reinforced concrete (RC) columns under concentric axial load have now reached a level where the fundamental behavior is so deeply understood to allow the implementation of accurate and effective analytical models. Basic concepts and algorithms, calibrated for simple configurations, are now ready to be extended to more complex situations, such as those of non-circular sections. In this case, however, it has to be understood that: a) concepts and results achieved for circular sections cannot be simply adjusted to deal with rectangular sections, because their mechanical behavior is completely different, b) scale effects, related to the column height, should be appropriately accounted for, in order to extend to real cases the results obtained from specimens of small dimensions. In this framework, an experimental investigation is being carried out, aiming at assessing the behavior, under axial load, of square (200x200 mm) and rectangular (200x300 and 200x400 mm) concrete columns (1400 mm tall) confined by means of FRP.