Monday, March 30, 2026 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Florence
This mini-session, “Next-Generation Column Design with High-Performance Materials,” aims to highlight recent advances in materials, design approaches, and performance assessment methods that enhance the strength, ductility, and resilience of reinforced concrete columns. Presentations will address innovative solutions such as fire design for new-generation concretes, active confinement using shape memory alloys, and blast-resistant columns incorporating engineered cementitious composites. Additional discussions will explore composite CFFT systems, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) interaction behavior, and the influence of foundation detailing under cyclic loading. Together, these studies advance the understanding and application of high-performance materials in next-generation column design.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand the structural behavior and design considerations of reinforced concrete columns incorporating next-generation materials such as UHPC, ECC, and advanced concretes under various loading and environmental conditions;
(2) Evaluate the effectiveness of novel confinement and reinforcement technologies—including shape memory alloy hoops and FRP tubes—in enhancing column strength, ductility, and durability;
(3) Apply updated design methodologies and performance-based guidelines for fire resistance, blast mitigation, and seismic resilience of high-performance concrete columns;
(4) Assess the influence of foundation reinforcement detailing and composite action on column–foundation deformation capacity and overall structural performance under cyclic and extreme loading.