An experimental study on the structural performance of reinforced concrete low-rise building columns subjected to axial loading

It has been commonly recognized by the international research and practice community that the presence of both outer and inner stirrups may significantly enhance the axial load capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns. However, there is limited testing evidence to support this conclusion that has been published nationally. This paper reports an experimental programme to study the effectiveness of stirrup detailing on the structural performance of columns having small sectional dimensions that are common in low-rise building structures. Nine column specimens with the same geometrical dimensions of 220 mm x 220 mm x 880 mm in three batches were detailed with different stirrup categories, have been gradually axially loaded to failure. The test data have revealed that although the presence of stirrups can generally enhance the axial load capacity of the column specimens, the enhancing levels are much dependent to the shapes of the stirrups. Selected interesting aspects of the test results have also been discussed, which set a concrete base for recommendations for design and detailing of such vertical structural elements. Keywords: experimental investigation; low-rise building columns; axial load capacity; stirrups.