Cyclic Testing of Concrete-Filled Circular Steel Bridge Piers having Encased Fixed-Based Detail

To investigate their adequacy as energy dissipating elements during earthquakes, this paper reports on cyclic inelastic tests executed to determine the maximum strength and ductility of four concrete-filled circular steel piers joined to a foundation detail proposed to develop the full composite strength at the base of these columns. Column diameters considered were 324 and 406 mm, with D/t ratios ranging from 34 to 64. The ductility of all tested columns was found to be good, all columns being able to reach drifts of 7% before a significant loss in moment capacity occurred as a result of cracks opening on the local buckles, suggesting that concrete-filled steel tubes can be effective as bridge piers in seismic regions of North America.