Axial strength of eccentrically loaded FRP-confined short concrete columns

This paper presents an experimental program that includes 78 fiber reinforced polymer (FRP)-confined square concrete columns subjected to eccentric loading. The degradation of the axial strength of FRP-confined short concrete columns due to the load eccentricity is investigated in this work. A larger load eccentricity leads to a greater decrease in the axial strength. From the test results, it is found that FRP confinement can cause less strength degradation compared with that of unconfined concrete specimens. For FRP-confined square concrete specimens, the strength enhancement due to FRP confinement increases with increasing load eccentricity. However, the increasing load eccentricity decreases the confinement efficiency for FRP-confined circular concrete specimens. The relationship between the strength of eccentrically loaded FRP-confined square columns and their corner radii is evaluated.