Experiment on Natural Frequency Change of Reinforced Concrete Members under Low Cycle Loading

Abstract

The natural frequency change of reinforced concrete (RC) members during damage when subjected to low cycle loading was studied through horizontal cyclic loading experiments. Three groups of RC flexural members were subjected to horizontal, harmonic, low cycle loading to simulate earthquake conditions. The relation of instantaneous load, instantaneous displacement, and instantaneous natural frequency during loading was deduced. Using the resulting equation, the test members’ natural frequencies at any moment during loading could be calculated accurately. Then the natural frequency change curves and their fitting equations were also obtained. The impact of loading period T and loading amplitude A on a test member’s damage rate V was analyzed, which showed that the impact of T on V was quadratic, and the relation between A and V was linear. Finally, by fitting experimental data of number of loading cycles N, loading amplitude A, loading period T, and natural frequency ω, a three-variable function, ω(N, A, T), was determined, revealing the change process of test members’ frequencies under arbitrary harmonic vibrations.