Seismic Behaviour of High-Strength Concrete Columns Reinforced with High-Strength Steel Bars: A Systematic Review of Experimental Evidence, Design Provisions and Research Gaps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70112/tarce-2026.15.1.4312Keywords:
Seismic Behavior, High-strength Concrete, High-strength Steel Bars, Reinforced Concrete Columns, Displacement Ductility, Confinement, Axial Load Ratio, Systematic ReviewAbstract
The combination of high-strength concrete (HSC) and high-strength steel bars (HSSB) is becoming more popular. Taller buildings with columns, rather than a flat roof, allow smaller sections, less material, and more usable floor area. Their seismic performance is based on an unresolved tension; however, the brittleness of HSC and the delayed yielding of HSSB adversely affect the ductility assumed by capacity design. This article reviews the experimental and numerical evidence on the cyclic behavior of such columns. Initially, 486 studies were identified, with 62 studies retained between 1995 and 2025. This led to 24 full-scale campaigns that reached parameter synthesis across six thematic lines. Three findings are repeated in separate programmes. High-strength stirrups usually fail to meet nominal yield at peak lateral load; crediting that yield strength overestimates shear capacity and ductility. The axial load ratio controls deformation. Strength exceeds the concrete grade: well-confined specimens easily surpass it. Displacement ductility decreases to 4 at a moderate axial load, then weakens further at a ratio greater than approximately 0.4; failure shifts to compression-controlled conditions. Confined-concrete models calibrated concentrically are not well suited for transfer to members in flexure if the strain gradient is not represented explicitly. The reported failure drifts are well above current code limits, which indicates that those limits are conservative for well-detailed members but provide little protection where member details are lacking and confinement is marginal. The review identifies a strain-compatibility formulation of effective stirrup stress, full-scale testing at high strength and high axial load, gradient-aware constitutive models, and the coupling of seismic with life-cycle objectives.
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