Finite Element Analysis of Square RC Columns Confined by Different Configurations of Transverse Reinforcement

Introduction: Square reinforced concrete (RC) columns with the confinement effect of transverse reinforcement perform well in ductility and have been used widely in RC structures. Its behavior is the classic topic of anti-seismic and anti-collapse analysis of RC structures. With the advancement of the finite element (FE) analysis technology, the general-purpose simulation tools such as ABAQUS and ANSYS have been universally used to analyze the behavior of structures and members, where the material constitutive model is a key problem in the analysis. Methods: In this study, a new uniaxial compressive stress-strain curve of the confined concrete considering confinement effect of transverse reinforcement in square RC columns was proposed for the concrete damaged plasticity model in ABAQUS to solve the problem that there is no proper uniaxial compressive stress-strain curve for the concrete damaged plasticity model to describe the behavior of concrete confined by transverse reinforcement. Based on the proposed stress-strain relationship, a FE model was developed to analyze the behaviour of laterally confined RC columns under concentric loading. Results: The finite element model is able to predict the response of the confined RC columns from different experiments with reasonable accuracy. Finally, a parametric study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of confinement reinforcement configuration on the behavior of core concrete in square section.