• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.83-95
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• 2001

Scale model tests were performed to investigate the seismic behavior and capacity of reinforced concrete piers that were not detailed for seismic load. The prototype pier is of solid circular section. Additional lateral reinforcing bars were not provided that might be required for the confinement. Two kinds of reinforcement details are considered for the vertical longitudinal reinforcing bars: lap spliced and continuous. In the case of lap spliced model all the longitudinal bars were lap spliced at the same height in the bottom plastic hinge zone. Three specimens were constructed and subjected to quasi-static cyclic lateral loading while the vertical load held constant. Non-ductile failure modes were observed in the test of lap spliced models but limited ductile behavior was observed in the test of a continuous longitudinal reinforcement model.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

As internal and external seismic experiment results, the seismic performance of RC bridge piers is largely dependent on the ratio of lap-spliced bars to all longitudinal reinforcing bars in plastic hinge regions, and confining effects of transverse reinforcements. Capacity and displacement ductility of non-seismically designed existing RC piers are reduced by lap splices in plastic hinge regions. The provision for the lap splice of longitudinal reinforcing bars was not specified in KBDS (Korean Bridge Design Specifications) before the implementation of 1992 seismic design code, but the ratio of lap-spliced bars to all longitudinal reinforcing bars in plastic hinge regions is restricted to 50% in the 2005 version of KBDS. This paper presents a seismic assessment of RC piers at lap-splicing ratios of 0%, 50%, and 100%. Through a comparison of experimental and analytic results of RC piers, we introduce an appropriate ultimate strain of confined concrete in plastic hinge regions with lap-splices, and propose a method for estimating displacement ductility ratios of non-seismically designed existing RC piers using fiber element analysis.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.263-272
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• 2003

Scaled model tests were carried out to investigate a seismic behavior of reinforced concrete piers with hollow-rectangular section that were not detailed for seismic load. Additional lateral reinforcing bars were not provided that might be required for confinement against earthquake load. Two kinds of reinforcement details were considered for the longitudinal reinforcing bars: lap-spliced and continuous. In the lap-spliced model all longitudinal bars were lapped at the same height in a bottom plastic hinge zone. In the other model all longitudinal bars extended continuously throughout the height. The constructed models were subjected to quasi-static cyclic lateral loading in the presence of the constant vertical load. Limited ductile behavior was observed in the test of lap-spliced model and more ductile behavior was observed in the test of a continuous longitudinal reinforcement model.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.3 s.49
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• pp.47-55
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• 2006

Seismic performance and retrofit of reinforced concrete (RC) two-column piers widely used at roadway bridges in Korea was experimentally evaluated. Ten two-column piers that were 400 mm in diameter and 2,000 mm in height were constructed. These piers were subjected to hi-directional cyclic loadings under a constant axial load of $0.1f_{ck}A_g$. Test parameters were the confinement steel ratio, loading pattern, lap splice of longitudinal reinforcing bars, and retrofitting method. Specimens with lap-spliced longitudinal bars were retrofitted with steel jacket, pre-stressing steel wire, and steel band. Test result showed that while the specimens subjected to bi-directional lateral cyclic loadings which consisted of two main amplitudes in the transverse axis and two sub amplitudes in longitudinal axis, referred to as a T-series cyclic loadings, exhibited plastic hinges both at the top and bottom parts of the column, the specimens subjected to bi-directional lateral cyclic loadings in an opposite way, referred to as a L-series cyclic loadings, exhibited a plastic hinge only at the bottom of the column. The displacement ductility of the specimen under the T-series loadings was bigger than that of the specimen under the L-series loadings. Specimen retrofitted with pre-stressing steel wires exhibited poor ductility due to the upward shift of the plastic hinge region because of over-reinforcement, but specimens retrofitted with steel jacket and steel band showed the required displacement ductility. Steel band can be an effective retrofitting scheme to improve the seimsic performance of RC bridge piers, considering its practical construction.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.41-53
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to evaluate the seismic capacity of RC piers with small aspect ratios. Test specimens were selected from the prototype piers among existing national roadway bridges which are expected to fail in shear and/or complex shear-flexural mode. Two groups of full scale RC pier models were constructed with aspect ratios of 2.25 and 2.67. Quasi-static tests have been implemented to investigate the failure behavior of the RC piers in terms of the lap-spliced longitudinal reinforcing steel and the aspect ratio. It is confirmed that regarding its shear-flexural behavior, the pier is very sensitive to the aspect ratio or details. In the case of a test pier with highly lap-spliced longitudinal bars, the bond failure of lap-splice steels was the dominant cause of failure before the occurrence of flexure or shear-flexural failure, despite a slight change in the aspect ratio. Finally, based on the test results and analysis, this paper proposes formulas for the yielding and ultimate displacements of circular reinforced concrete bridge piers without seismic details. These formulas will be useful for the investigation and upgrade of the seismic capacity of bridge piers without seismic details.