Steel strap confined high strength concrete under uniaxial cyclic compression

Abstract

This paper discusses an affordable and effective lateral confinement technique to enhance concrete's compressive strength and ductility - the steel strapping tensioning technique (SSTT). Considerable studies have been done on the characteristics of SSTT-confined concrete under uniaxial monotonic compression loading, but none has addressed its uniaxial cyclic response. In this paper, 21 high-strength concrete specimens having diameter of 150 mm and height of 300 mm had been cast, laterally pre-tensioned with steel straps in different confining ratios, and tested to failure under uniaxial cyclic and monotonic compression loadings. Results indicated that the basic hypothesis of envelope curve is valid for SSTT-confined high-strength concrete specimens for uniaxial monotonic and cyclic loadings. The development of plastic strain is independent of the confining ratio when the envelope unloading strain exceeds 0.0025. Moreover, SSTT-confinement has the lowest plastic strain compared to several related existing plastic strain models. The stress deterioration ratio is independent of confining ratio and loading patterns. Lastly, the concept which neglects the effect of loading history on the permanent axial strain of the unloading and reloading paths of concrete is invalid because repeated unloading/reloading cycles have demonstrated a cumulative effect on the permanent strain and stress deterioration.