A new steel reinforcement system is introduced to be used in concrete columns. This new reinforcement, named Prefabricated Cage System (PCS), is an alternative to the rebar cage used in traditional reinforced concrete for faster, easier, and more reliable construction. PCS reinforcement is prefabricated off-site and then placed inside the formwork eliminating the time-consuming and costly labor associated with cutting, bending, and tying steel bars in traditional rebar construction. The axial strength, confinement, and displacement capacity of 15 small-scale column specimens reinforced with PCS and conventional rebar are experimentally investigated. The behavior of PCS specimens is evaluated and compared with that of similar rebar reinforced concrete columns. The effect of several parameters, such as steel tube thickness, opening dimensions, number and spacing of longitudinal and transverse steel, on the strength and displacement capacity is also investigated. Test results have shown that the axial load carrying capacity of specimens reinforced with PCS was similar to or better than that of reinforced concrete specimens. Axial load–displacement relations for the test columns are also predicted and compared with the measured response.
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