Influence of axial load on behavior of belled pile

reinforced with high-strength steel bars

Y. Hibino
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

S. Suzuki
Kajima Corporation, Japan

Y. Shinohara
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

S. Hayashi
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

SUMMARY:
The influence of axial load on flexural behavior of the concrete belled piles reinforced with high-strength steel
bars was drawn from the experimental test result: 1) the absence of axial load causes fracture of the longitudinal
reinforcements on the tensile side; 2) the reinforcement experienced buckling and fracture under high axial load;
3) the domination of a rotation at hinge region was enhanced by higher axial load ratio and decreased cracks
distribution; 4) the effective stiffness can be estimated by the existing formula, though estimations gives a small
overestimation in high axial load ratio.
Keywords: Piles, Flexural behavior, High-strength steel bars, Axial load

1. INTRODUCTION
Belled piles have been used for mid- or high-rise reinforced concrete buildings in expectation of its
high-axial load capacity. The concrete pile is primary compression members of building, and piles are
subjected to axial compression and tension stresses caused by bending during earthquakes. Structural
design of piles provided by ACI 543R-00 (2000) were developed using strength design principle from
ACI 318-95 (1995), and the design strength of the pile subjected to flexure combined with axial
compression computed by multiplying the nominal strength of the pile by a strength reduction factor,
which piles is treated as columns in accordance with ACI 318-95 (1995).
Recently, through the growing use of performance based design, the ultimate strength calculation of
the piles is considered to ensure the sufficient seismic capacity of buildings in term of strength,
ductility, and durability. On the other hand, reinforcement congestion and poor concrete placement are
common issues found in belled pile using conventional steel bars. The use of high-strength steel as
longitudinal or transverse reinforcement is one solution to solve the issue. Nagae et al. (2000) studied
the pile reinforced with high-strength transverse reinforcement, and reported that increasing of shear
strength, and the pile had large flexural capacity. Hibino et al. (2011) conducted experimental tests of
belled pile reinforced with high-strength steel bars under a constant axial compression, and evaluated
the belled pile reinforced with high-strength steel bars has equivalent flexural ductility to existing piles
under an axial load. However, the piles can experience repeated tension and compression axial load
under seismic excitation; hence more investigation of flexural behavior of the belled pile under various
axial loads is required.
To investigate effect of axial compression load on flexural behavior, this paper presents experimental
tests on belled piles reinforced with high-strength steel bars subjected to flexural behavior. These tests
provided the flexural behavior under combined various axial and flexural loading, and assessment of
those effective stiffness.

2. EXPERIMENTAL TEST PROGRAM

2.1. Test specimens
A summary of the main properties of the specimens is shown in Table 2.1. There are two series
specimens with different concrete strength. Geometric properties of the specimens are shown in Figure
2.1. The specimens were fabricated as 1/5-scale pile assuming application in mid-story reinforced
concrete building, and twenty D10 high strength longitudinal reinforcements and 5.1 mm diameter of
high strength spiral web reinforcements with 50 mm pitch spacing were used. The constant axial
compression load: 407.4 kN; 814.8 kN; 1222.2 kN, were applied to the specimen, which loads were
determined by assuming suffered axial load of piles at a corner end during earthquake. The shear
span-to-depth ratio, M/VD=2.5 is constant for all the specimens, which was assumed by Changs
method (Chang 1937). Compressive strengths of concrete were targeted as 24 MPa for L series
specimen and 36 MPa for M series specimen. Material properties of steel are shown in Table 2.2.
Elongation ratio of the steels of D10 and U5.1 has about 7 % which is lower than that of conventional
steels.
Table 2.1. Properties of test specimens
Longitudinal
Transverse
reinforcement
reinforcement
P
fc',
Ec,
Specimen
0/fc'
kN
MPa
MPa
Reinforcing
Reinforcing
st, %
t, %
bar
bar
0
0
LN
LL
407.4
0.17
23.1
27400
L
LS
814.8
0.34
U5.1@50 mm
20-D10
0.26
1.5
LU
1222.2
0.51
(SBPD1275)
(SPR785)
MN
0
0
M
ML
407.4
36
32400
0.12
MS
814.8
0.24
Note: D is pile diameter, st is ratio of total area of longitudinal reinforcement to gross concrete area, t is ratio of
area distributed transverse reinforcement to gross concrete area perpendicular to that reinforcement, P is axial
load, fc is concrete compressive strength, Ec is youngs modulus of concrete, and 0 is effective stress on cross
section.

575

Strain Gauges

600

300

350

262

350

Strain Gauges

1000

Figure 2.1. Geometric properties of test specimen (unit: mm)

Table 2.2. Steel characteristic
Steel type
fy, MPa
fsu, MPa
Es, MPa
D10
885
931
194000
U5.1
1378
1448
174000
Note: fy is yield strength of steel, fsu is ultimate steel strength, and Es is youngs modulus of steel.

2.2. Test setup

Bi-directional cyclic loading tests were conducted using the test rig shown in Figure 2.2. The cyclic
lateral load applied by cantilever system with horizontal jack who are installed in the bottom of the
frame. Vertical jacks who have two pin hinges at both ends are installed in the top of the frame to
apply a constant axial load at the top of the pile. The reaction block installed on top of specimen can
be rotated in accordance with the deflection and rotation of the pile, and connects specimen and
vertical jacks rigidly. A slider is placed between a reaction block and the frame to free horizontal
movement of the pile during lateral cycling loading while maintaining the vertical load. Loading
directions are shown in shown in Figure 2.2 beside arrow symbol. The tests were controlled by
deflection angle, R obtained from the horizontal displacement divided by shear span length (875 mm).
The loading history was as follows: R=1/4001, R=1/2002, R=1/1002, R=1/672, R=1/502,
R=1/332, and R=1/251. After the last loading cycle, the positive direction monotonic load
applied to the specimen MS until a fracture of longitudinal reinforcement.

Reaction Block

Reaction Beam

Vertical Jack

Bedding
Reaction Block
Slider

Vertical Jack

Specimen

Horizontal Jack

Figure 2.2. Test setup

2.3. Test results

Observed crack drawings and picture are shown in Figure 2.3. The drawings are drawn for
development elevation, and the solid and broken lines represent cracks occurred during positive and
negative loading, respectively. First bending cracks were observed at the pile fixed end, afterward the
cracks were spread upward with an increasing of shear force, and then shear cracks increased with an
increasing of deformation. The shear cracks of the specimen LN spread finer than that of the other
specimens, whereas number of cracks of the specimen LU is small and concrete crushing occurs. This
indicates that the rotation of the hinge region dominated in deflection which is enhanced by concrete
crushing due to high axial load.
Comparisons between the measured lateral load versus deflection are shown in Figure 2.4. Broken line
represents predictions listed in Table 2.3 obtained by fiber section analysis considering P- effect.
Square, circle, triangle and diamond symbols are drawn at the points where concrete crushing at the
fixed end, flexural yielding of longitudinal reinforcements, peak shear strength and fracture of
reinforcements, respectively. The observed and predicted shear strength in failure after flexural
yielding and fracture mode for the piles are summarized in Table 2.3. The cyclic loading of all the
specimens shows that large flexural ductility after deflection of 0.02 rad in compared with the pile
having conventional steel bars; however, small strength degradation is observed after fracture of
reinforcement for the specimen LN, LS, MN and MS. The fracture of main steel bars observed in the
specimen LN and MN, and buckling before fracture was observed in the specimen LS and MS. Hence,

the buckling affected fracture of reinforcement, and the fracture is due to lower elongation, compared
with conventional steels, of high-strength steel bars. The flexural yielding of the specimens occurred at
R=1/100 after compression failure of concrete due to the high axial load in the specimen LS and LU,
whereas the flexural yielding occurred prior to concrete crushing in the other specimens. The
predictions of the specimen are almost agreed with the peak shear strength, Vmax, and the peak shear
strength was increased with an increasing of the axial load.

(a) Specimen LN

(b) Specimen LL

(c) Specimen LS

300

200

200

200

100

100

100

0
-100

0
-100

0
-100

-200

-200

-200

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06
Deflection (rad)

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06
Deflection (rad)

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06
Deflection (rad)

300

(a) Specimen LN

300

(b) Specimen LL

300

200

200

200

100

100

100

0
-100

Load (kN)

Load (kN)

Load (kN)

300

Load (kN)

300

Load (kN)

Load (kN)

Figure 2.3. Crack patterns of the piles after failure

0
-100

0
-100
-200

-200

-200

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06
Deflection (rad)

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02

(d) Specimen MN

(c) Specimen LS

0.02 0.04 0.06

Deflection (rad)

(e) Specimen ML

-300
-0.06 -0.04 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06
Deflection (rad)

(f) Specimen MS

Figure 2.4. Experimental lateral load-displacement relationship

Table 2.3. Summary of test results
Vmax, kN
EIg,
EIg,calc.,
EIe/
EIe,
Vp,
Vmax/ Fracture
EIe/EIg
Specimen
Positive Negative
kN
Vp
kN/mm kN/mm kN/mm
EIg,calc.
mode
direction direction
91.8
0.13
12.3
34.5
0.36
LN
162
168
-177
1.09
Tension
91.8
0.18
16.9
70.9
0.24
LL
190
188
-209
1.13
91.8
0.21
19.2
131.4
0.15
LS
199
209
-249
1.31 Buckling
91.8
0.21
19.7
55.6
0.36
LU
186
212
-272
1.55 Buckling
106.4
0.14
15.4
48.3
0.32
MN
179
177
-184
1.03
Tension
106.4
0.16
17.3
80.8
0.21
ML
224
213
-242
1.11
106.4
0.18
21.3
176.2
0.11
MS
254
237
-296
1.19 Buckling
Note: Vp is prediction, Vmax is peak strength and fracture mode is tension (Tension) or tension after buckling
(Buckling), and EIe is effective stiffness, EIg is gross-section stiffness, and EIg, calc. is calculated gross-section
stiffness (=a3/3EcI+a/GAg)-1. Where I is moment of inertia of section about centroidal axis, is shape index, G

is modulus of transverse elasticity, and Ag is gross cross-sectional area.

The effective stiffness, EIe and gross-section stiffness, EIg obtained by experimental results, which is
defined by a diagonal line connecting between origin and the first point at which the tension
reinforcement yielded or concrete crushing occurred, whichever came first on force-displacement
envelope as shown in Figure 2.5. The effective stiffness is increased by increasing of concrete strength.
But, the experimental gross-section stiffness is not agreed with calculated one because of crack or
loading condition. Figure 2.6 shows relationship between effective stiffness ratio EIe/EIg and axial load
ratio. The solid and blank symbols represent effective stiffness ratio calculated by experimental
effective stiffness and calculated effective stiffness, respectively, using calculated gross-section
stiffness. The calculated stiffness was obtained by fiber section analysis assuming the hinge height of
0.75D (262 mm). Solid and chain line represents following effective stiffness ratio proposed by
Elwood et al. (2009) with two options for db/D.

EI e 0.45 2.5 P Ag f c

1.0 and 0.2

EI g
db D
1 110
D a

(2.1)

where db is nominal diameter of longitudinal bars, and the db/D can be approximated as 1/24 for bridge
columns and 1/18 for building columns. The trends of analysis results are agreed with experimental
results. The stiffness increases with an increasing of axial load ratio. Estimation by Elwood and
similarly increase with an increasing of axial load ratio; however, the estimation overestimates the
stiffness especially with high axial load.
F
EIe

Force-displacement envelope

Fy
Tension reinforcement yielded or
Concrete crushed
EIg

Figure 2.5. Definition of effective stiffness

0.4

EIe /EIg

0.3

Elwood
(db/D=1/24)

Elwood (db/D=1/18)

0.2
M Series Exp.
L Series Exp.
M Series Ana.
L Series Ana.

0.1
0

0.1

0.2
0.3
0.4
Axial load ratio

0.5

0.6

Figure 2.6. Relationship between effective stiffness and axial load ratio

2.4. Strains on longitudinal reinforcements

400

400

300

300

200

200

Position (mm)

Position (mm)

Measured peak strain of reinforcement at loading cycles of R=1/400, R=1/200, R=1/100, R=1/67 and
R=1/33 are shown in Figure 2.7. The strain data is measured by strain gauges installed on longitudinal
reinforcements arranged at tensile and compressive side. The vertical axis represents the position of
the strain from the pile fixed end, which is illustrated in Figure 2.1 with red square symbols, and
dashed line represents yielding strain. The positive and negative values of strain mean tensile and
compressive strain, respectively. The tensile strain at the fixed end of the specimen MN yielded at the
cycle of R=1/67, and after the cycle the strain increased more than 20000 . On the other hand, for the
specimen MS the strain yielded at R=1/67, and the strain of compressive side reinforcement exceeded
15000 at the cycle of R=1/33 where the height of 130 mm, which indicates that the steel experienced
buckling by high axial load.

100
0
-100

R1/400
R1/200
R1/100
R1/67
R1/50
R1/33

100
0
-100
-200

-200
-300
-15

-10

0
-5
5
Strain (103 )

10

15

-300
-15

-10

(a) Specimen MN

-5

5
0
Strain (103 )

10

15

(b) Specimen MS
Figure 2.7. Peak strain of reinforcement

Figure 2.8 shows fractured reinforcement taken from specimens MN and LS by drilling after the
experimental test. The fracture surface is different between the specimens: the steel of the specimen
MN is constricted in the middle; and the steel of the specimen LS has sharply cut surface. The
buckling occurred at the second spacing of the hoop from the fixed end which height is about 130 mm
(see Figure 2.8(c)) as same as the position of the peak strain data at R=1/33 shown in Figure 2.7(b).

(a) Specimen MN

(b) Specimen LS

(c) Reinforcement buckling

Figure 2.8. Fractured reinforcements

2.5. Contribution of components to total displacement

Total displacement of the pile, H can be defined as follows.

H H , pile H , hinge

(2.2)

where H, pile is deformation of a part of the pile except hinge region (see Figure 2.9) attributable to
flexure, and H, hinge is the hinge deformation. The hinge region was defined as 0.75D height from the
fixed end. Additionally, total displacement H is calculated as follows.

 H H , pile,T

l frame V , pile , R V , pile, L

(2.3)

L pile

where H,pile,T is deformation at the top of the specimen, lframe is distance from the loading height to the
top of the specimen, V,pile,L and V,pile,R are vertical deformation caused by rotation of the specimen,
and Lpile is span between the measurement points of V,pile,L and V,pile,R. Hence, the hinge deformation
attributable to flexure, hinge is derived as follows assuming the pile has a linear variation in curvature
over the height of the hinge.

H , hinge hinge a lhinge

V , hinge , R V , hinge, L
Lhinge

a l
hinge

(2.4)

where hinge is rotation caused by the deformation of the hinge region, V,hinge,L and V,hinge,R are vertical
deformation, and Lhinge is span between the measurement points of V,hinge,L and V,hinge,R, a is shear span
(875 mm), and lhinge is height of hinge region (0.75D). The lateral displacement of the pile due to slip
of the reinforcing bar is given by following equation integrating the triangular strain diagram using
measured strain as shown in Figure 2.9.

H , slip slip a

c d

(2.5)

where slip is rotation at the end of the pile, s is strain of reinforcing bar in footing, c is neutral axis
calculated by V,hinge,L and V,hinge,R assuming Naviers hypothesis on assumption that which is the same
at the fixed end, dt is distance between tensile end and rebars position, and j is distance from the
measurement position of V,hinge,R to pile end. Note that the deformation, slip is considered till before a
cycle when reinforcement yielded and after the cycle the displacement was assumed as constant. The
lateral displacement of the hinge region due to in flexure, H,hinge,flex is given by following expression.
If the deformation, H,slip is larger than the deformation, H,hinge, the deformation, H,hinge,flex is assumed
to be zero.

H , hinge , flex H , hinge H , slip

(2.6)

The deformation attributable to a part of the pile except hinge region, H,pile is obtained by Eq. (2.2)
assuming that slip of reinforcing bar in a part of the pile except hinge region is not cause.
Figure 2.10 shows contribution of components to total displacement on the peak of each loading cycle.
The total displacement on each loading cycle represents target displacement of the cycle. The
deformation, H,pile is almost constant after the cycle of 1/100 when the longitudinal reinforcement
yielded in all the specimens, consequently the deformation, H,slip is constant, and the deformation of
the hinge region, H,hinge,flex dominated after yielding. The deformation, H,slip of the specimen LN at the
cycle of 1/100 is larger than that of the specimen LU due to the absence of axial load, and the
deformation, H,hinge,flex of the specimen LU is larger than the that of the specimen LS because of the
concrete crushing in hinge region due to high axial load. This indicates that hinge rotation was
enhanced by higher axial load ratio, and decreased cracks distribution.

Frame

Lpile

V, pile,L

Lhinge

Pile
Region

Hinge
Region

lframe

V, pile,R

H,pile,T

hinge

V,hinge,R

V,hinge,L

lhinge

slip
s

dt+j

Specimen

Figure 2.9. Definition of deformations

Deformation (mm)

35
30

40

H,pile
H,hinge,flex
H,slip

25
20
15
10
5
0

H,pile
H,hinge,flex
H,slip

35
Deformation (mm)

40

30
25
20
15
10
5

1/400 1/200 1/100 1/67

1/50

1/33

1/25

1/400 1/200 1/100 1/67

1/50

1/33

1/25

Loading cycle (rad)

Loading cycle (rad)

(a) Specimen LN

(b) Specimen LU

Figure 2.10. Contribution of components to total displacement

3. ASSESMENT OF EFFECTIVE STIFFENSS

Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) (1999) provides the ratio of effective stiffness for rectangular
column as follows.

EI e
d
a
0.043 1.64n 0.043 0.33 0
EI g
Dc
f c Dc

(3.1)

where n is modular ratio (Es/Ec), is ratio of tension reinforcement to gross sectional area, =st/4, Dc
is column height, and d is distance from tension reinforcement to compression side. To apply the
effective stiffness for circular column, equivalent height, De=D/2, can be substituted for column
height, Dc. Figure 3.1 shows comparison of estimated effective stiffness and experimental test. The

estimation by Elwood overestimates the stiffness for specimens with high axial load as shown in
Figure 2.6; however, the estimation by AIJ shows good agreement with experimental results except the
specimen LU. AIJ formula can estimate the effective stiffness ratio regardless of axial load ratio,
though both estimations overestimate in high axial load.
Elwood AIJ

+2
0%

Experimental EIe (kN/mm)

50
40

LN, MN
LL, ML
LS, MS
LU

0%
2

30
20
10
0

10
20
30
40
Estimated EIe (kN/mm)

50

Figure 3.1. Comparison of estimated and experimental effective stiffness

4. CONCLUSIONS

This paper presents the experimental result aiming to study the behavior and ductility of belled pile
reinforced with high-strength steel bars under cyclic loading. The influence of axial load on flexural
behavior of the belled piles reinforced with high-strength steel bars was drawn from the experimental
test result as shown in followings.
The ultimate strength of the piles with high-strength steel bars can be designed using cross-sectional
analysis. All test piles reinforced with high-strength reinforcement have a sufficient flexural ductility
in compared with the pile having conventional steel bars. The absence of axial load causes fracture of
the longitudinal reinforcements on the tensile side. This fracture is due to lower elongation, compared
with conventional steels, of high-strength steel bars after yielding.
The high-strength longitudinal reinforcement of the piles experienced buckling and fracture under high
axial load, when strength degradation occurred in the hysteresis. The domination of a rotation at hinge
region was enhanced by higher axial load ratio, and decreased cracks distribution.
The effective stiffness can be estimated by the existing formula considering equivalent rectangular
cross-sectional area to circular area, though the estimations of the specimen with high axial load ratio
give a small overestimation.
AKCNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to acknowledgement the supplier of the reinforcement; Neturen Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Tekko
Co., Ltd.

REFERENCES
American Concrete Institute. (1995). Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-95) and
Commentary, American Concrete Institute, Michigan, USA.
American Concrete Institute. (2000). Design, Manufacture, and Installation of Concrete Piles (ACI 543R-00),
American Concrete Institute, Michigan, USA.
Architectural Institute of Japan. (1999). Standard for Structural Calculation of Reinforced Concrete Structures
Based on Allowable Stress Concept-, Architectural Institute of Japan, Tokyo, Japan. (in Japanese)

Chang, Y. L. (1937). Discussion on Lateral Pile-Loading Tests by LB Feagin. Transaction of ASCE. 102,
272-278.
Elwood, K. J., Eberhard, M. O. (2009). Effective stiffness of reinforced concrete column. ACI structural journal.
106:4, 476-484.
Hibino, Y., Shinohara, Y., and Hayashi, S. (2011). Flexural behavior of belled pile with high-strength
longitudinal reinforcement. 8th International Conference on Urban Earthquake Engineering. 819-824.
Nagae, T., Wang, J., Katori, K., and Hayashi, S. (2000). Shear crack and failure process of slip reinforced
concrete pile. Concrete Journal. 22:3, 619-624. (in Japanese)