Energy Absorption Capacity of uPVC-Confined Concrete

This research documents the results of tests on stub columns tested under repeated monotonic compression load. Two unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) tubes were filled with normal and high strength concrete. From each type of concrete three control specimens were also cast for comparison purposes. The experimental test results show that the unconfined specimens were crushed in the first cycle of loading in contrast to the confined specimens which continued to resist the applied load after several cycles of repeated loading. Furthermore, by using the polymeric tube, the failure of concrete core switches from sudden explosive failure to non-brittle failure with the composite specimen undergoing large progressive deformation in each cycle of loading. For each cycle of loading, the material damage in the composite system was evaluated in terms of the deformations in both the lateral and axial directions.