| Abstract: | The current approach for seismic retrofit of deficient bridge columns in California involves extensive use of steel jacketing. In this paper, the influence of steel jacketing on the lateral response of circular bridge columns is studied; particularly, the enhancement of the ultimate compressive strain of concrete, the increase in curvature ductility capacity and the increase in lateral stiffness are investigated. The current steel jacket thickness used in California is shown to enhance the ultimate compressive strain of concrete by 4–9 times the spalling strain of unconfined concrete. For larger steel jacket thickness, the ultimate limit state of steel-jacketed columns may be governed by the low-cycle fatigue fracture of the longitudinal reinforcement instead of the ultimate compressive strain of concrete. Steel jacketing is also expected to increase significantly the lateral stiffness of columns if full-height steel jackets are used. The increase in lateral stiffness of flexural columns (3⩽L/D⩽9) is estimated to be 35–60 per cent using current jacket thickness. Inelastic dynamic analyses of steel-jacketed columns using ground motions recorded during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake indicated that the current steel jacket thickness provides adequate protection against the damage potential of the ground motions with comparable spectral acceleration as that specified in current design spectra, and the damage sustained by the steel-jacketed column is likely to be repairable. |
