Strengthening of axially and eccentrically compression loaded RC columns with UHPC jacketing system: Experimental investigation and finite element modeling

The paper presents an experimental and numerical evaluation of reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Fifteen columns were tested under static eccentric loading. The variables considered in the experimental program are the thickness of UHPC and the loading eccentricity. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model was developed using ABAQUS software and validated with the experimental results. The validated numerical model was utilized to develop additional results of the strengthened RC column considering UHPC strength as a variable. Finally, an analytical model was proposed to predict the failure load and moment for rectangular RC columns strengthened with UHPC. The results confirmed the effectiveness of UHPC jacketing to strengthen RC columns under eccentric loading. The degree of enhancement is proportional to UHPC jacket thickness and inversely proportional to the nominal eccentricity. The proposed analytical model accurately predicted the failure load and moment for rectangular RC columns strengthened with UHPC.