Name: Ayush Kr.

Gupta
Roll no. : CE20B021

Behaviour of axially loaded short column

Aim: To study the behaviour of axially loaded short reinforced concrete column.

Details of test specimen:

Apparatus used:
1. High-capacity Long column machine with a hydraulic jack
2. DEMEC Gauges
3. Bearing plates
4. Steel Pellets

Background:
Short column:
When the slenderness ratio is less than 12 then we call it a short column. In RC short
columns, axial load is injected which is a compressive force and it is resisted by both
concrete and steel. In a short column, failure is generally caused by crushing.

Assumption in analysis of RC columns and its implications

1. Column is perfectly straight and line of thrust coincides exactly with the initial axis of
strut
2. Uniform cross section, EI = Constant
3. Material from which the column is made is homogeneous and behaviour is elastic
4. Small lateral deflections
5. Column will fail by crushing alone

Ultimate axial load capacity of short column

Ultimate Axial Load = Ultimate Load from concrete + Ultimate Load from steel
Load capacity from concrete = fck*Ac
Assuming safety factor of 1.15 because of human error, we get capacity = .85fck*Ac
Cylinder strength =.8*cube strength
Ultimate load from concrete =.67fck*Ac
Load capacity from steel = .85fy*Asc
Ultimate axial load, Pu0 = 0.67fckAc + fscAsc
fsc = 0.85fy

Role of lateral ties

Tie bars help in holding the concrete and rebars and also helps in resisting the load and
hence increases its load carrying capacity.

Mode of failure

Buckling: buckling is a failure in column due to axial load this causes column failure at loads
lower than ultimate loading capacity of column

Shear Failure : this happens due to lateral loads such as earthquake, wind forces.

Crushing: This failure occurs in a short column generally when concrete reaches its limiting
strain, it fails abruptly.

Sketch of experimental setup

Procedure
Initial dimension of specimen is noted and when load was 0 then with the help of DEMEC
gauge we noted the respective values for all the faces. The load is applied and again we
noted all the values with DEMEC gauge for all 4 faces.

Failure load = 60 ton

WEIGHT LOAD (kN) Compressive Strength

8.1 601 26.711 MPa

8.07 576 25.6 MPa

8.13 574 25.511 Mpa

Average = 25.941 Mpa

Gross area of cross section, Ag = 150 mm * 150 mm = 22500 mm2

Area of steel, Asc = 4*3.14*(12/2)2 = 452.39 mm2
Area of concrete, Ac = Ag - Asc = 22500 - 452.39 = 22047.61 mm2
Fck =26.711 MPa

Pu0 =.67* 25.941*22047.61+.85*450*452.39 =556236.99 N = 56.76 ton

Strain Values:

Theoretical Strain = Stress/Elastic Modulus

Elastic Modulus, E = 5000√fck = 5000*√25.941 = 25.47 GPa

Graphs:
Comments:
● Experimental ultimate load =60 tonnes and theoretical ultimate load = 56.76 tonnes
● Experimental ultimate load is greater than the theoretical value which may be due to
the partial safety factors incorporated in the formula
● First crack was observed at the top of the specimen, as the load transfers from top to
the bottom.