article · Case Studies in Construction Materials
Precast reinforced concrete columns with circular cross-sections are increasingly used in building construction. Experimental evaluations on twelve circular reinforced concrete members subjected to four-point loading examined flexural behaviour up to structural collapse. Three specimens were cast as solid members without connections, whereas nine comprised precast normal concrete panels joined by an intermediate connection filled with ultra-high-performance concrete. The investigation assessed the influence of connection presence, longitudinal reinforcement ratios, and the embedment length of steel reinforcement bars within the connection zone. Tests incorporated normal concrete, strain hardening cementitious composites, and ultra-high-performance concrete. The findings demonstrate that increasing both the reinforcement ratio and bar embedment length improves load-bearing strength and energy absorption. Furthermore, finite element simulations developed in ABAQUS accurately matched experimental responses across the different concrete types, enabling reliable future parametric studies.
Precast concrete structures rely on secure connections between components to prevent structural failure under load. Demonstrating how ultra-high-performance concrete joints behave under bending forces gives structural engineers and construction professionals clear guidance on how steel reinforcement ratios and embedment depths govern joint strength, supporting safer design choices for prefabricated circular columns.
This research is relevant to structural engineering designers and precast concrete manufacturers involved in prefabricated building construction. Operating at an applied and tested stage, the laboratory findings and validated finite element models provide design parameters for intermediate column connections. Further parametric investigation using the verified simulation tools is required before these connection specifications can transition into standardised building practice.
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Precast Reinforced concrete (RC) columns with circular sections are increasingly being utilized in the construction of RC structures. This paper reports investigations into the flexural behavior of precast circular RC members with an intermediate connection filled with Ultra-High-Performance-Concrete (UHPC). Experimental program and results are described of twelve RC circular members tested under four-point loads up to collapse. Of the twelve columns, three of them are solid ones without intermediate connection, while nine of them are precast Normal Concrete (NC) panels connected with UHPC. The studied parameters are the existence of an intermediate connection (with and without connection), the ratio of longitudinal reinforcement (µ) ratio and the length of steel bars embedded in the UHPC connection (Le). Three concrete types are used including Normal Concrete (NC), Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC), and UHPC. Test results show that increasing the reinforcement ratio and the embedded length of the steel bars increases the strength and energy absorption of members. Finite element models (FEMs) developed using ABAQUS are presented for capturing the responses of RC columns incorporating different concrete types. The good agreement between computer simulation and experimental results suggests that the FEMs can be utilized to undertake further parametric studies with confidence.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.cscm.2023.e02386
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