ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Current seismic design practice for reinforced concrete columns focuses on yielding steel when subjected to large lateral loads in order to dissipate energy. This causes large permanent displacements that make the structure susceptible to severe damage and possible collapse. Damage to plastic hinge is an accepted practice to allow for energy dissipation. However, the consequence of this damage can interfere with disaster recovery operation and can have major economic impact on the community. Column plastic hinges that can dissipate energy without suffering from severe damage and permanent deformation would alleviate these problems. This study focused on incorporating two innovative materials into 0.2 scale bridge column models in order to create more ductile columns that experience substantially reduced damage and permanent deformation while dissipating the earthquake energy.
