Cyclic Test of Concrete Bridge Column Utilizing Ultra-High Performance Concrete Shell

Abstract

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a durable material that can be used in constructing new and unique structural elements. This research utilizes UHPC to construct prefabricated shells that act as stay-in-place forms for bridge columns and eliminate the use of traditional formwork. These innovative structural elements reduce the on-site construction time, improve the structural performance of the column, and act as a protective layer in aggressive environments. Generally, during the construction process, the prefabricated UHPC shell is placed around the column reinforcement, which is fabricated using conventional methods. To connect the UHPC shell and column reinforcement with the footing and footing dowels, a step made of UHPC is utilized. The UHPC step connection is designed to shift the plastic hinge away from the column-to-footing interface. In the next stage, normal concrete is cast inside the shell, forming a concrete-filled UHPC shell. The final stage of construction involves placing and connecting a prefabricated cap-beam using the same UHPC step connection. The column specimen was tested under constant axial load and incremental lateral load. In this test, the UHPC shell cracked on the north side at a drift ratio of 3%; however, the column had a significant capacity and behaved similarly to a conventional reinforced concrete column during higher cycles of drift ratios. The test was completed after the column had reached a drift ratio of 7.5% when the first bar ruptured. No damage occurred in the footing and UHPC step which proved that the design was successful in shifting the plastic hinge away from the column-to-footing interface.