Experimental and numerical analysis study of structural performance of RC column under intermediate lateral-point loading

Design methods that consider vehicle impact loads include the equivalent static force method, the displacement-based design method, and the performance-based design method. To develop each of these approaches, various impact experiments and analytical studies have been conducted. For displacement-based and performance-based design methods, research involving static loading applied to the midsection of reinforced concrete (RC) columns is required, but relevant experimental studies remain limited. Therefore, in this study, both experimental and finite element analysis (FEA) were conducted to investigate the behavior of RC columns subjected to displacement-controlled lateral loading at an intermediate point along the columns with moment loads, considering small buildings. Two full-scale RC columns, each with cross-sectional dimensions of 400x400 mm and a height of 2,500 mm (Test-A and Test-B), were tested. Lateral loading was applied at a height of 1,500 mm from the base, and an axial load equal to 10% of the design compressive strength was applied to the Test-B specimen. Load–displacement curves, crack patterns, and structural characteristics were obtained through experiments, and the experimental results were verified using ANSYS-based FEA. The experiments showed that the peak load was 155.3 kN for Test-A and 182.8 kN for Test-B. The FEA results demonstrated high accuracy, with a peak load error of only 0.66%. Additionally, parametric analysis confirmed that the lateral resistance of columns decreased significantly as the height at which lateral loading was applied increased. Compared to columns subjected to axial force only, columns subjected to both axial force and moment exhibited lower lateral resistance. Thus, moment effects should also be considered when designing columns to withstand vehicle impact loads. The results of this study provide valuable foundational data for displacement-based and performance-based design methods.