Complete collapse test of reinforced concrete columns

In this paper, experimental investigation into the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC)<br />columns tested under large lateral displacement with four different types of loading arrangements is<br />presented. Each loading arrangement has a different system for controlling the consistency of the loading<br />condition. One of the loading arrangements used three units of link mechanism to control the parallelism<br />of the top and bottom stub of column during testing, and the remaining employed eight hydraulic jacks<br />for the same purpose. The loading systems condition used in this investigation were similar to the actual<br />case in a moment-resisting frame where the tested column was displaced in a double curvature. Ten<br />model column specimens, divided into four series were prepared. Two columns were tested monotonically<br />until collapse, and unless failure took place at an earlier stage of loading, the remaining eight columns<br />were tested under cyclic loading. Test results indicated that the proposed system to keep the top and<br />bottom stubs parallel during testing performed well.