Title: Evaluation of the Strength of High-Strength Concrete Columns

Author(s): A.L. de Paula, L.C.D. Shehata, and I.A.E.M. Shehata

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 253

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 363-382

Keywords: column strength; concrete stress block; high-strength concrete

DOI: 10.14359/20185

Date: 7/31/2008

Abstract:
Due to the different characteristics of higher strength concrete, some procedures traditionally used in the design of structures made of lower-strength concrete have to be changed. To evaluate the behavior of high-strength concrete (HSC) elements (fc > 50 MPa) with reasonable accuracy, an adequate compressive stress-strain relationship of concrete should be adopted. This is particularly important for predicting the behavior of columns - elements where the use of HSC is most advantageous. Different types of stress-strain relationships for HSC have been proposed for the nonlinear analysis of member behavior and for the ultimate state analysis of cross sections of elements under combined fl exure and axial load. In this work, simplifi ed rectangular stress blocks for the design of cross sections by different codes applicable to HSC structures are presented. It is shown that those concrete stress blocks can lead to quite different bending moment-axial load interaction diagrams and comparisons between experimental and calculated strengths of 403 tested columns give an idea of the level of safety related to the use of various concrete stress blocks.