Seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete circular columns using stainless steel wire mesh composite

Abstract

An experimental study on seismic retrofit of typical circular columns with lap splice details utilizing stainless steel wire mesh (SSWM) composites was conducted. One column without lap splices and two columns with different lap splice lengths were tested under “as-built” condition. Three columns retrofitted with SSWM were constructed and tested under reversed cyclic loading. Brittle failure was observed in the “as-built” model column due to the bond deterioration of the lap spliced longitudinal reinforcement. Retrofitted columns wrapped with SSWM composites in the potential plastic hinge region resulted in a stable hysteresis response with increased capacity and ductility. This study indicates that significant improvement in flexural strength and ductility can be achieved using this retrofitting method.