Comparative Seismic Performance Evaluation of Low-Strength RC Bridge Columns Retrofitted with Concrete and Steel Jackets Using FEM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/sjmars.5.3.1Keywords:
Bridge, columns, Seismic retrofitting, Concrete jacketing, Steel jacketing, Low-strength concrete, Section analysis, Moment-curvature, DuctilityAbstract
Many existing reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns, particularly those built before the 1970s, were designed with low-strength concrete and inadequate transverse reinforcement, leaving them highly vulnerable to seismic loads. This study evaluates how two jacketing techniques, concrete jacketing (CJ) and steel jacketing (SJ), enhance the seismic performance of low-strength RC bridge columns. A section analysis approach combining the Finite Element Method (FEM) and moment-curvature analysis was used to compare the flexural strength, ductility, and curvature capacity of the original, concrete-jacketed, and steel-jacketed columns. The results indicate that steel jacketing provides the greatest increase in curvature ductility (up to 4.67 times that of the original section), while concrete jacketing substantially improves flexural strength (up to 2.12 times). Both methods effectively shift the failure mode from brittle to ductile behavior. The findings provide practical recommendations for the seismic retrofitting of low-strength RC bridge columns.
References
[1] Priestley M. J. N., Seible F., Calvi G. M. Seismic Design and Retrofit of Bridges. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996. 704 p.
[2] Mander J. B., Priestley M. J. N., Park R. Theoretical stress-strain model for confined concrete. Journal of Structural Engineering. 1988;114(8):1804-1826.
[3] Paulay T., Priestley M. J. N. Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Buildings. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1992. 768 p.
[4] Calvi G. M., Pinho R., Crowley H. State-of-the-knowledge on seismic retrofit of bridges. Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 2006;10(sup1):1-28.
[5] Pampanin S., Bolognini D., Pavese A. Performance-based seismic retrofit strategy for existing reinforced concrete frame systems. Journal of Composites for Construction. 2006;10(1):2-13.
[6] Rodriguez M., Park R. Repair and strengthening of reinforced concrete columns for earthquake resistance. ACI Structural Journal. 1991;88(2):188-198.
[7] Chai Y. H., Priestley M. J. N., Seible F. Seismic retrofit of circular bridge columns for enhanced flexural performance. ACI Structural Journal. 1991;88(5):572-584.
[8] Hines E. M., Restrepo J. I., Seible F. Force-displacement characterization of well-confined bridge columns. ACI Structural Journal. 2004;101(4):537-548.
[9] Aboutaha R. S., Engelhardt M. D., Jirsa J. O., Kreger M. E. Seismic retrofit of circular reinforced concrete bridge columns with steel jacketing. ACI Structural Journal. 1992;89(4):443-454.
[10] Lehman D. E., Moehle J. P. Seismic performance of well-confined concrete bridge columns. PEER Report 1998/01. Berkeley: Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center; 1998. 235 p.
[11] Buckle I. G., Friedland I. M. Seismic retrofit of highway bridges. In: Proceedings of the National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways. Sacramento; 1995. p. 45-58.
[12] Sezen H., Moehle J. P. Seismic behavior of reinforced concrete columns with lap splices. ACI Structural Journal. 2004;101(5):640-650.
[13] Pantelides C. P., Gergely J., Reaveley L. D. Seismic retrofit of existing bridge columns with advanced composite materials. Structural Engineering and Mechanics. 2001;12(2):177-192.
[14] Sakai J., Sheik S. A. Confinement of high-strength concrete columns. ACI Structural Journal. 1989;86(6):682-692.
[15] Priestley M. J. N., Seible F. Seismic assessment and retrofit of bridges. Structural Engineering International. 1995;5(4):214-222.
[16] Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Seismic Retrofitting Manual for Highway Structures. Washington, D.C.: FHWA; 2006. 456 p.
[17] ABAQUS. ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual. Version 6.14. Providence: Dassault Systèmes; 2014. 1250 p.
[18] ACI Committee 318. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19). Farmington Hills: American Concrete Institute; 2019. 623 p.
[19] Otani S. Hysteresis models of reinforced concrete for earthquake response analysis. Journal of Structural Engineering. 1981;107(8):1549-1563.
[20] Kent D. C., Park R. Flexural members with confined concrete. Journal of the Structural Division. 1971;97(7):1969-1990.
[21] Watson S., Park R. Seismic design of reinforced concrete frames. Bulletin of the New Zealand National Society for Earthquake Engineering. 1994;27(2):67-89.
[22] Xiao Y., Wu H. Seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete columns using steel jackets. In: Proceedings of the 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Auckland, 2000. Paper No. 2327.
[23] Saatcioglu M., Razvi S. R. Strength and ductility of confined concrete. Journal of Structural Engineering. 1992;118(6):1590-1607.
[24] Elwood K. J., Moehle J. P. Axial capacity model for shear-damaged columns. ACI Structural Journal. 2005;102(4):578-587.
[25] Park R. Ductility evaluation from laboratory and analytical testing. Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 1999;3(3):401-438.
[26] Sheik S. A., Uzumeri S. M. Analytical model for concrete confinement in tied columns. Journal of the Structural Division. 1982;108(12):2703-2722.
[27] Kowalsky M. J. Deformation limit states for circular reinforced concrete bridge columns. Journal of Structural Engineering. 2000;126(8):869-878.
[28] Berry M. P., Eberhard M. O. Performance models for flexural damage in reinforced concrete columns. PEER Report 2003/12. Berkeley: Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center; 2003. 187 p.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Stallion Journal for Multidisciplinary Associated Research Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
10.55544/sjmars
editor@sjmars.com | 
+91-8874396939
