Analytical Estimation of the Residual Drift of Reinforced Concrete Columns under the Ultimate Displacement Capacity

Reinforced concrete columns are the most important structural elements that determine the ductility of the structures. The main parameters affecting the behavior of reinforced concrete columns are axial load level, shear span, percent of longitudinal reinforcement and percent of transverse reinforcement. The aim of this study is to examine residual damage behavior of RC columns under cyclic loading similar to the earthquake loads combined depend on variable axial load level, spanning to depth ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and transverse reinforcement ratio. When the results of experiments are examined, it can be seen that the residual drift ratio of reinforced concrete columns can be used to characterize the damage occurred in the structure after earthquake or loading. In addition, the performance level of the reinforced concrete columns according to the residual drift ratio is defined in FEMA356. As a result of this study, the analytical equation that calculates the residual drift ratio of the reinforced concrete columns at the ultimate displacement limit is proposed.