strain gage positions were as shown in Fig. 5.
For the
tests conducted at the fast strain rate, only the gages
numbered 2 and 10 were present at one one-third
point, 4 and 11 at midheight, and 7 and 12 at the other
one-third point. The strain gages used had a gage
length of 5 mm (0.20 in.).
For tests conducted at the low strain rate
(0.0000033/sec), the loads and strains were recorded
manually. For tests conducted at the higher strain rates
(0.00167 /sec or 0.0167 /sec), all measurements were re-
corded electronically.
Test unit preparation
The concentrically loaded test uníts had thin layers
of plaster placed between their ends and the steel plates
at the ends of the testíng machine. The spherical seat-
ing normally located at the top platen was removed
since it was considered that a more uniform compres-
sion strain would be maintained at high strains if ro-
tation of the platen could not occur.
For the concentrically loaded test units, a steel roller
bearing was inserted at each end of the unit between
the end plates and the platens of the testing machine.
The roller bearings were set at a predetermined eccen-
tricity of 49 mm (1.93 in.) for the 12-bar units and 33
mm (1.30 in.) for the 8-bar units. The eccentric loading
produced a strain gradient which varied as the test pro-
gressed, since the distribution of concrete compressive
stress depended on the shape of the concrete stress-
strain curve which changed as the test progressed. For
the chosen end eccentricity (the end eccentricity was
held constant during the test), the straín was O at one
face of the concrete core when the compressive strain
at the opposite face was about 0.01. Generally, rather
than zero strain, there was initially a small compressive
strain and then a small and eventually a high tensile
strain at one face, while the compressive strain in-
creased at the opposite face.
TEST OBSERVATIONS
The appearance of vertical cracks in the concrete
cover was always the first sign of any distress in the
test units. These cracks spread rapidly as crushing of
the concrete cover caused the cover to become ineffec-
tive. As expected, this was particularly evident for the
units with closely spaced hoops, since closely spaced
transverse steel causes a plane of weakness between the
core and cover concrete. However, with the cover con-
crete lost, the load still continued to increase as the
core concrete became confined by arching between the
hoops and longitudinal bars. Eventually this load de-
creased. Buckling of the longitudinal bars occurred at
higher strains; this was invariably associated with frac-
ture of the hoops at or near the buckle. As the hoops
snapped, the core concrete in the near vicinity was re-
duced to fine rubble and flowed or was ejected from
the core.
After the tests, it was found that the horizontal bars
which passed through the units at the one-third points
ACI JOURNAL / January-February 1982
2
8 3 8 3
7 4
4
Fig. 5 - Posítions oí electrícal resístance straín gages
for 8- and 12-bar uníts
V
Buck/1ng of ~/24mm (0.941n.!
long1rud1nal Dar
Dend1ng supporr --- d1a Dar
Dar w1rh 11 ~ 16mm !0.63in)d1a
<::;¡
"' supporr bar
~
-- -- -- ~
Fíg. 6 - Bendíng oí bar to which linear potentiometers
were attached
and supported the linear potentiometers had often de-
formed near one end, indicating that initially plane sec-
tions were not remaining plane for the duration of the
test. This occurred despite the fact that the end sections
of the test units remained plane. It was noticed that
the horizontal bars bent only if they were near a buckle
in the longitudinal bars, as illustrated in Fig. 6. It ap-
peared that the very high localized strains associated
with longitudinal bar buckling caused local distortion
of the concrete section. However, beca use this phe-
nomenon occurred toward the end of testing, errors in
the longitudinal strains measured were not considered
to be great.
In the tests, a marked degradation in the strength of
the concrete core was always initiated by fracture of
an inner hoop. Generally, a considerable number of
hoops fractured befare testíng was complete, and the
concrete was still able to carry a significant load after
the fracture of three or four hoops. Thus, it would be
reasonably conservative to define the limit of useful
concrete compressive strain as that strain at which
fracture of a hoop first occurs. It should be noted that
fracture of the outer (perimeter) hoops occurred later,
if at all, than fracture of the inner hoops. This was
due to the loss of bond at the outer hoops, caused by
the loss of the concrete cover, allowing an averaging
of the outer hoop strain across the width of the con-
crete core. Fracture of an inner hoop, and the subse-
quent local degradation of the strength of the concrete
core, also caused a loss of anchorage at the embedded
ends of the outer hoop bars, resulting in a tendency
for the outer hoop bar to unwind rather than to frac-
ture.
17