Constitutive Behavior of High-Strength Concrete under Dynamic Loads

An experimental investigation into the behavior of short reinforced high-strength concrete columns is described. Thirty reinforced concrete columns, either 240 mm diameter circular or 240 mm square and 720 mm high, containing different confining reinforcement configurations, yield strengths of transverse reinforcement, and concrete compressive strengths, were subjected to concentric loads to failure at different strain rates. Results presented include an assessment of the effect of strain rate, different concrete compressive strength, amount and distribution of longitudinal steel, and amount of distribution of transverse steel. A stress-strain curve for confined highstrength concrete loaded at a high strain rate (comparable with seismic loading) is proposed and compared with the curve based on tests conducted at low strain rates.