Experimental tests on SSTT-confined HSC columns

Abstract

The steel-strapping tensioning technique (SSTT) has been widely accepted as an effective method for enhancing the performance of high-strength concrete (HSC) columns. Previous experimental tests showed that SSTT can increase the ductility of HSC by up to twice that of unconfined HSC. However, most of the tests performed on SSTT-confined HSC columns have focused on concentrically loaded short specimens. In reality, however, columns with a length/diameter ratio greater than three and subjected to eccentric loading are very common. Against this background, experiments were carried out to investigate the slenderness effect of SSTT-confined HSC columns subjected to eccentric loads. It was found that SSTT increases both the strength and deformability of slender HSC columns, although the confining effects are reduced proportionally with an increase in slenderness ratio. The effects of the eccentricities and the eccentricity ratio are also presented in this paper.