Behaviour of Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Columns with Disproportionate Cross-Section Dimensions Subjected to Compression and Biaxial Bending - Case Study

The purpose of the current paper is to raise awareness on the behaviour of rectangular reinforced concrete columns with disproportionate cross-section dimensions subjected to compression and biaxial bending, considering the fact that in the current structural design process, the design of columns is usually done with respect to each of the two principal directions without considering their combined effect.

The paper is based on a case study regarding a building that is currently in the design phase, in which to obtain a correct seismic behaviour, rectangular columns with disproportionate cross-section dimensions were used.

The design of both the building and the columns follows the Romanian seismic design codes (“P100-1/2013 - Seismic design code - Part 1 - Design provisions for buildings” and “SR-EN 1998/2004 - Design of structures for earthquake resistance”).

Results were compared and conclusions were drawn based on the interaction curves and interaction surfaces computed with expressions from specialized literature and sectional analysis software.