Effect of Axial Compression Ratio on Seismic Behavior of GFRP Reinforced Concrete Columns

Traditional reinforced concrete columns have demonstrated poor seismic performance especially in corrosive environment as the reinforcement bars experience severe corrosion under such conditions. To overcome the problem of steel corrosion, glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete columns have gained significant attention in recent years. However, the seismic performance of GFRP reinforced concrete column is not well understood yet. One of the main challenges associated with the use of GFRP bars is its brittle behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the mechanical properties and failure modes of GFRP reinforced concrete structures under seismic action. In this research, the seismic behavior of GFRP reinforced concrete columns and conventional columns under different axial compression ratios are analyzed by low-cycle repeated pseudo-static loading tests. As a result, the deformation and the seismic energy dissipation capacity of GFRP reinforced concrete columns are investigated and discussed. Furthermore, the failure mechanism of GFRP bar structure is studied to provide the basis for improving the seismic design method of GFRP reinforced concrete structure and modifying the code for seismic design. In addition, the influence of axial compression ratio on the seismic behavior of full GFRP reinforced concrete columns is investigated. The results of this experiment demonstrate that with the increase of axial compression ratio, the ultimate bearing capacity of GFRP reinforced concrete columns increases, while the deformation and the cumulative energy dissipation capacity decrease.