ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL TECHNICAL PAPER

Plastic Hinge Length of Reinforced Concrete Columns

by Sungjin Bae and Oguzhan Bayrak

As a column experiences earthquake-induced lateral displacements
while supporting gravity loads, severe damage is observed in
regions subjected to large moments. These regions are commonly
referred to as plastic hinges and they experience large inelastic
curvatures. The inelastic curvatures in plastic hinges are typically
assumed to be constant over the plastic hinge length, 'p' to simplify
the estimation of the tip displacement of a column. Therefore, if the
plastic hinge length is known, the tip displacement of a column can
easily be obtained by integrating curvatures, and vice versa. As
part of the research reported in this paper, the effects of axial load
and shear span-depth ratio (Uh) on 'pare evaluated experimen-
tally. Based on the experimental observations, a new analytical
approach that can be used to estimate 'pis presented. Finally, the
research findings are synthesized into a simple expression that can
be used to estimate lp'
concrete column. The length of a plastic hinge depends on many
factors. The following is a list of important factors that influence
the length of a plastic hinge: l) level of axial load; 2) moment
gradient; 3) level of shear stress in the plastic hinge region; 4)
mechanical properties of longitudinal and transverse reinforce-
ment; 5) concrete strength; and 6) level of confinement and its
effectiveness in the potential hinge region.
In the 1950s and 1960s, researchersl-5 studied lp to estimate
the flexural deformation capacity of reinforced concrete
beams. To estimate the flexural deformation capacity, the
plastic rotation capacity and the lp are used

Park and Paulay II extended this concept to a cantilever

INTRODUCTION column. They simplified the curvature distribution along the
Numerous researchers 1-10 have suggested various length of a column using a plastic hinge (Fig. I). Using the
ex pressions that can be used to estimate the plastic hinge length second moment area theorem, they calculated the tip
lp of concrete members. Large differences exist among different displacement of a column (Eq. (2))
expressions, however, and the performance of different expres-
sions in estimating lp has not been evaluated systematically.
This paper presents test results from four full-scale
concrete columns. In addition, the effect of axial load and
shear span-depth ratio (Llh, where L is the height of a canti-
By further simplifying Eq. (2), Park and Paulay II obtained
lever column and h is the overall depth of a column) on the
the relationship between curvature and displacement ductilities
lp is investigated. A concrete compression strain method to
(Eq. (3))
estimate lp is proposed. Finally, a simple lp expression is
proposed and the influence of the estimated lp on the accuracy
of lateral load-drift predictions is studied.

RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
Research conducted over the past three decades has Equations (2) .and (3) have been commonly used to estimate
resulted in various constitutive relationships for concrete and the lp of concrete columns.6-9,12,13 It is interesting to note
reinforcing bars. As a result, the sectional behavior of that the curvature profile along the column is often related to
reinforced concrete columns can be reliably estimated. For a the tip displacement rather than flexural displacement. 6-9,12,13
given sectional performance, the member behavior of a
column can be estimated if lp is known. As such, estimating
the length of a plastic hinge establishes a key step in
predicting the lateral load-drift response of a column. In this
context, the work presented herein advances the state of
knowledge: 1) by providing experimental evidence on the
effects of axial load and Llh on lp; 2) by introducing a new
concrete compression strain-based method to estimate lp;
and 3) by synthesizing the research findings into a simple
expression that can be use to estimate lp'

DEFINITION OF PLASTIC HINGE LENGTH

Plastic hinges form at the maximum moment regions of
reinforced concrete columns. If lp is known, the tip displacement
of a column can be easily obtamed by integrating curvatures.
Therefore, accurate assessment of lp is important in relating
section-level response to member-level response of a
ACI Structural Jourllal, V. 105, No.3, May-June 2008.
MS No. S-2006-224.R3 received April 19, 2006, and reviewed under Institute
publication policies. Copyright 2008, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved,
including the making of copies unless pennission is obtained from the copylight proprietors.
Pertinent discussion including author's closure, if any, will be published in the March-
April 2009 ACi Structural Jourllal if the discussion is received by November 1, 2008.
ACi member Sungjin Bae is a Structural Engineer at Bechtel Corporation, Frederick,
MD. He received his BS and MSfrom Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, and his PhD
from the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. He is a Member of ACi Committee 209,
Creep and Shrinkage of Concrete, and Joint ACi-ASCE Committee 441, Reinforced
Concrete Columns. His research interests include the behavior of concrete columns
subjected to combined axial load and flexure, testing of large-scale reinforced
concrete columns, and performancebased design of concrete columns.
ACI member Oguzhan Bayrak is an Associate Professor of civil, architectural, and
environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. and a
Fellow of the Clyde E. Lee Endowed Professorship. He is Chair of Joint ACI-ASCE
Committee 441, Reinforced Concrete Columns; a member of ACI Committees 341,
Earthquake-Resistant Concrete Bridges; E803, Faculty Network Coordinating
Committee; and Joint A Cl-ASCE Committee 445, Shear and Torsion.
In such a case, the lp in Eq. (2) and (3) can include the effects
of bar slip and shear displacements.
TECHNICAL LITERATURE: PLASTIC HINGE LENGTH
Baker1
To investigate the moment-curvature relationship of
beams and columns, 94 beam/column tests were conducted
by six laboratories under the auspices of CEB in the 1960s.
The main test variables included concrete strength, yield
strength or amount of tension reinforcement, amount of
compression reinforcement, single or double concentrated
loads, and axial load. Based on the test results, Bakerl
proposed the following equation to calculate the lp
where z is the distance between the critical section and the
point of contraflexure and d is effective depth of a beam.
Baker1 reported that the lp ranged from OAd to 2Ad for
practical values of zJd. The zJd ratio is a similar parameter
to Uh and was used to re~resent the effect of moment gradient.
Baker and Amarakone simplified Eq. (4) to obtam the
following
Mattock3
Mattock3 conducted 37 beam tests and investigated the
effect of various parameters on the behavior of reinforced
concrete beams. The parameters studied by Mattock3 were
concrete strength (f; = 4000 to 6000 psi [28 to 41 MPa]),
effective depth of beam (d = 10 to 20 in. [254 to 508 mm]),
moment gradient (zld = 2,75 to ll), amount (PI = 1 to 3%),
and yield strength (fy = 47 to 60 ksi [324 to 414 MPa]) of
tension reinforcement. Based on the test results, Mattock3
concluded that the spread of plasticity along a beam length
increased as zJd increased, and as the net tension reinforcement
(q - q')/% decreased. Mattock3 proposed the following
empirical relationship to calculate lp'
Corley5
To expand Mattock's3 work, Corleys tested 40 simply
supported concrete beams subjected to single point loads.
The confinement and size effects were the primary variables
investigated. In addition, the effects of moment gradient and
amount of tension reinforcement were studied. CorleyS
reported that the length of the plastic hinge region was
primarily a function of the geometry of a concrete beam and
that the size of a beam did not have a significant influence on
the rotational capacity. Based on the scatter in the measured
values of the plastic hinges, he concluded that the effect
of (q - q')/% in Eq. (6) could be ignored. CorleyS suggested
the use of a simple expression for calculating lp
l = d- z
+0.2-
p 2 Jd
Mattock4
Mattock4 simplified Eq. (6) in 1967. He stated that even
though there was considerable scatter, the trend in the
observed lp could be represented reasonably well by the
following simple expression
d
l = - + 0.05z
p 2
Park et al.6
Park et al.6 tested four full-scale concrete columns with
square sections of 22 x 22 in.2 (550 x 550 mm2) and an Uh
of 2. The axial loads applied to the column s~eciI?ens were
in the range of 0.2f; Ag to 0.6f; Ag. Park et al. estimated the
l of the test specimens using Eq. (2), They concluded that
fue experimentally obtained lp were comparatively insensitive to
the axial load level and had an average value of OA2h, where
h is the overall depth of the column. They suggested using a
simple lp of OAh for concrete columns.
U sing a similar approach, Priestley and Park 7 proposed the
following equation for the calculation of lp in reinforced
concrete columns
The su gested'lp (Eq. (9 has two components. Priestley
9
and Park stated that the first term mainly accounted for
column bending, while the second accounted for bar slip due
to the elongation of longitudinal bars beyond the theoretical
base (tensile strain penetration into the joint or foundation).
Paulay and Priestley8 revised Eq. (9) to account for
different grades of flexural reinforcement. The revised
expression is given in Eq. (10)
lp = 0.08L + 0.15dbfy (fy in ksi)
lp = 0.08L + 0.022dbfy (fy in MPa)
Paulay and Priestley8 reported that Eq. (10) resulted in
lp "" 0.5h for typical columns.
Sakai and Sheikh 14
Based on an extensive review of the literature, Sakai and
Sheikh 14 reported that the lp increased as the aspect ratio (Uh or
LID), which is nearly equivalent to the Llh, increased.
Bilinear curves illustrating the relationship between the lp
and the aspect ratio were reported as trend lines by the
authors. They concluded that the lp was affected by the
amount of transverse reinforcement, axial load level, and
aspect ratio.
Sheikh and Khoury9
Sheikh and Khoury,9 Sheikh et a1.,12 and Bayrak and
Sheikh 13reported that the measured l were approximately
equal to 1.0h in their column tests. is important to note
that most of their column tests were conducted under high
axial loads.
Mendis10
Mendis 10conducted tests on 13 simply supported concrete
beams subjected to single point loads and examined their lp'
He reported that the lp increased as the Llh or the longitu-
dinal reinforcement ratio increased, but decreased as the
amount of lateral reinforcement increased. Based on four
column tests where the axial load levels were low (P/f~ Ag =
0.06 to 0.20), Mendis concluded that the lp was not sensitIve
to the level of axial load.
PREVIOUS RESEARCH INTO PLASTIC HINGE
LENGTH: DISCUSSION
Various expressions, recommended for use in l estimations,
were briefly discussed in the previous section. comparison
of the previously reported lp expressions is provided in Fig. 2.
This figure clearly illustrates that large variations exist
among the suggested llr
It is interesting to note that most of the lp expressions do
not consider axial load as a parameter, except for the
Sheikh and Khoury 9
~
-"" I .. ' +(o.SP.)}
.c
e;,
c
~ 0.8
... ' . .
..
.'
'
expressions proposed by Bakerl and Baker and Amarakone.2
This is because the behavior of concrete beams was the
major focus in investi%ating the lp in early research. 1-5In the
more recent research, -9 the behavior of concrete columns
has been the focus of lp investigations.
In addition, although the effect of axial load on the lp of
concrete columns has been reported by several researchers,
the reported results can be considered contradictory. As
discussed previously, Park et a1.6 and Mendis 10 concluded
that the lp were insensitive to axial load levels based on their
:if test results. In contrast, Atalay and Penzien 15 reported that
the spread of plasticity or the length of the damaged region
increased as the axial load level increased. Tanaka and
Parkl6 reported that the lp increased from 0.46h to 0.75h as
the applied axial load level increased from O.lf~ Ag to
0.3f~ Ag. The test results of Thomson and Wallace17 and
Legeron and Paultre 18indicated that the increase of lp with
the axial loads could also be observed for high-strength
concrete columns. Therefore, an investigation into the l of
reinforced concrete columns is needed to: 1) reconcile differ-
ences encountered in the previous research; and 2) develop
an expression that can be used to estimate lp more accurately
for various axial load levels.
As discussed previously, Eq. (2) and (3) have been
commonly used to estimate the lp of concrete columns.6-9,12,13
Using these equations, the lp can be estimated from measured
tip displacements and curvatures. Tip displacements of a
A concrete column include flexural, bar slip, and shear
displacement components. Therefore, the lp estimated using
Eq. (2) and (3) includes the effect of bar slip and shear
displacements. As shear deformations can be ignored for
columns with moderate Llh, the lp measured in this manner
will be influenced mainly by flexural and bar slip displace-
ments. The influence of various displacement components
other than flexural displacements can be observed in E~. (9)
and (10), which were ~roposed by Priestley and Park and
(#9 bar)}
(#7 bar)
.
Paulay & Priestley
R Paulay and Priestley. These equations have two separate
terms that take into account the effect of flexural and bar-slip

.. '
---. +(O.3P.)

. +-(O.OP.)
Baker I displacements. By relating the curvature distribution along
the column shown in Fig. 1 to the tip displacement rather
Q)
than flexural deformations, the lp in Eq. (2) and (3) includes
g 0.6
I the effects of bar slip and shear displacements. Conversely,
~ 0.4 the displacements calculated through the use of the lp expression
0:'" derived in this manner implicitly account for dIsplacement
components other.than the flexural displacements.
As flexural displacements are directly related to curvatures,
it is more appropriate to relate the lp to the flexural displacement
component only. Bar slip and shear displacements have to be
estimated independently. Subsequently, the tip displacement
can be estimated by summing these displacement compo-
nents. Following this logic, a new lp expression is proposed
in this study.

PLASTIC HINGE LENGTHS: COLUMN TESTS

To investigate the effect of Llh and axial load (P/Po)' four
full-scale concrete columns were tested under moderate to
high axial load levels and reversed cyclic displacement
excursions. Figure 3 illustrates the test setup used in this
research. The test frame, shown in Fig. 3, can be used to
apply and maintain an axial load up to 2000 kips (8900 kN)
and reversed cyclic moments as large as 4000 ftkips
(5400 kNm). White arrows in Fig. 3 illustrate the axial force
applied by the hydraulic ram and the loads applied by two
actuators that were used to impart reversed cyclic base
 . (1)
~
Loading Direction

Longitudinal steel Transverse steel

b x h, f;, f,/, J;'h'
Specimen in. x in. (mm x mm) ksi (MPa) Size p/,% ksi (MPa) Size 511' in. (111m) P.,., % ksi (MPa) As//Ash.ACI P/P'/
S24-2UT 24 x 24 (610 x 61 0) 63 (43.4) No. 7-1 (22M-I) 1.25 73 (50.3) NO.4-I (13M-I) 3-3/4 (95) 2.04 62 (42.7) 1.09 0.5
SI7-3UT 17.25 x 17.25 (440 x 440) 6.3 (43.4) NO.5 (16M) 1.25 72 (49.6) No.3-I (10M-I) 3-3/8 (86) 1.76 72 (49.6) 1.12 0.5
24-4UT 24 x 24 (610 x 610) 5.3 (36.5) No. 7-2 (22M-2) 1.25 58 (40.0) No. 3-2 (I OM-2) 6 (152) 0.72 66 (45.5) 0.44 0.2
S24-5UT 24 x 24 (610 x 610) 6.0 (41.4) No. 7-2 (22M-2) 1.25 58 (40.0) No. 4-2 (13M-7) 6 (152) 1.30 63 (43.4) 0.74 0.2
Ps = volumetric ratio of transverse reinforcement to concrete core.

t Po = 0.85f: Ac + f,'IAr

rotations. The shear forces at hinges are shown with black
arrows. Table 1 shows the details of the specimens tested in
this research program and the magnitude of the axial load
that was applied to each specimen during testing. A
detailed discussion of this experimental research can be
found elsewhere 19 and is considered to be beyond the scope
of this paper.
The damage observed within the plastic hinge region of
each test specimen and the corresponding tie strains along
the columns are shown in Fig. 4. Specimens S24-2UT and
S24-3UT were tested under an axial load level of 0.5P 0'
while Specimens S24-4UT and S24-5UT were tested under
a lower axial load level of 0.2P O' Specimens S24-2UT,
S24-4UT, and S24-5UT had 24 in. (609.6 mm) square
sections (Uh = 5), whereas Specimen S17-3UT had a 17.25 in.
(438.15 in.) square section (Uh = 7). Figure 4 shows that the
severely damaged regions of Specimens S24-2UT and
S l7-3UT are longer than those of Specimens S24-4UT and
S24-5UT. The tie strains measured along the column specimens
at the 20th loading cycle in Fig. 4 also illustrate that
Specimens S24-2UT and S17-3UT experienced inelastic tie
strains over a longer length than Specimens S24-4UT and
S24-5UT. Many ties in Specimens S24-2UT and S 17-3UT
experienced larger inelastic strains after the 20th loading
cycle than the measurement limits of strain gauges. Therefore, it
can be concluded that, for the specimens tested in this study,
lp increased as the level of axial load increased.
Figure 5 illustrates the sectional and member performances of
Specimens S24-2UT and S24-4UT. Specimen S24-2UT and
S24-4UT have the same section size (h = 24 in. [610 mm)) and
Uh = 5. These specimens were tested under different axial load
levels (P/Po = 0.5 for Specimen S24-2UT and P/Po = 0.2 for
Specimen S24-4UT). Figure 5(a) illustrates that the sectional
performance of Specimen S24-4UT is somewhat better than
that of Specimen S24-2UT with respect to deformation
capacity. The opposite trend can be observed from the member
performances, however, as shown in Fig. 5(b). The reversal in
the trends is attributed to the difference observed in the lp of
Specimens S24-2UT and S24-4UT.
PLASTIC HINGE LENGTH: CONCRETE
COMPRESSION STRAIN METHOD
Estimating the length of a plastic hinge that forms in a
reinforced concrete column through the use of a sophisti-
cated computer program is complicated. Because of this
difficulty, the estimation of lp has typically been based on
experimental data. A plastic hinge is defined as the zone
where severe damage of concrete sections occurs. By
observing that large cracks typically occur at curvatures
greater than the yield curvature, some researchers20,21
attempted to relate the yield moment to the lpo This approach
is practical when the curvature increases With moment (that
is, in the ascending branch of the response), but the application
of this approach to members that experience post-peak
strength degradation is questionable.
In this section, a concrete compression strain method that
can be used to estimate the lp of concrete columns is introduced.
Following the description of this concrete compression strain
method, the key factors that influence the length of plastic
hinges are identified by conducting sensitivity analyses.
Based on the results of the sensitivity analyses, a simple
expression that can be used to estimate the length of the
plastic hinges is proposed. Finally, the influence of the lp
estimations on the lateral load-displacement response
predictions is discussed.
Compressive strain profile of core concrete
As reinforced concrete columns are subjected to earth-
quake-induced lateral displacements while supporting
(a)
1.2
0.8
i !
~ 0 ::: 0
>
" concrete can be determined for a sufficient number of
Curvature ()(10~ Imm)
20 40 60
1200 _ 1200
0: 1500 E 0.
~
'" 900 ~ ':"E
! 5l
c 1000
gravity loads, plastic hinges form within the core concrete.
The magnitude of damage in concrete members is closely
related to the intensity of concrete compressive strains
measured at critical sections. Under increasing curvatures,
concrete strains on the compression side of the member
increase. As the concrete compressive strains increase and
reach a critical value, the cover concrete spalls off. Subse-
quently, yielding of longitudinal bars on the compression
side occurs. This is followed by crushing of the core
concrete. With accumulation of damage under increasing
compressive strains, plastic hinges form. Experimental
observations6,19 indicate that the plastic hinges start to form
after the maximum moment capacity is reached. Therefore,
the magnitude of concrete compressive strains experienced
by the core concrete when the maximum moment capacity is
reached at the critical section of a column can give a good
indication on the formation of a plastic hinge. To estimate the
length of a plastic hinge that may form at the base of a reinforced
concrete column, the following procedure is proposed:
1. The moment-curvature response of a typical column
section within the potential plastic hinge region is obtained
from a sectional analysis (Fig. 6(a)). In the sectional analysis,
core concrete is modeled as confined concrete, while cover
concrete is modeled as unconfmed concrete. Bar buckling
behavior in compression reinforcement is not considered
because the ascending branch of the moment-curvature
relationship is of concern. Reinforcing bar buckling is not
experienced within the ascending branch of the response;
2. Neglecting the second order effects, the bending moment
diagram is drawn along the column height (Fig. 7(c)). The
moment value at the center of the potential plastic hinge
(-0.5h away from the base) is assumed to be equal to the
maximum moment capacity of the section obtained from the
sectional analysis in Step 1. This assumption would imply that
the sections between the center of the plastic hinge and the
base of the column have a larger flexural capacity than
predicted using the sectional analysis. The shift in the location
of the critical section (Fig. 7(d)) is due to the confinement
provided by the concrete stub to the neighboring sections. This
effect, commonly referred to as the stub confinement effect,
has been observed in previous experimental research6,9,13,18,22;
3. Using the bending moment diagram from Step 2 and the
sectional analysis' results (Fig. 6(b)) from Step 1, the
compressive strain experienced by the outer fiber of core
sections along the length of a column. If these compressive
strains are plotted along the length of a column, the compressive
concrete strain profile along the length of a column can be
"" obtained (Fig. 7(d));
Normalized lateral Load-Displacement
Backbone Curves 4. The compressive strains at the outer fiber of the core
concrete are equal to the reinforcing bar strains. In effect, the
compressive strain profile obtained in Step 3 represents the
variation of compressive longitudinal bar strain along the
length of a column. By examining the compressive strain
profile, such as the one shown in Fig. 7(d), the length of the
Layer of concrete used
1500 E region in which longitudinal bars are yielding in compression
900 ~ can be estimated. The identification of this length establishes a
Iii
1000 ~

0
~ 600
0
~ 600
~ key step in estimating the lp of a column; and
" 300
500
" " 500 " 5. As indicated in Step 2, the critical section shifts away
o 0 o 0 from the face of the stub due to additional confinement
o 500 1000 1500 2000 o 0.005 0.Q1 0.015 0.02
effects provided by the stub. Because of the additional
Curvature ()(10~fin.) Strain at Outer Layer of Core Concrete
confinement provided by the stub to adjacent sections,
sections within a distance of approximately 0.25h from the
stub remain nearly undamaged. Therefore, to estimate the
 M""" from sectional
analysis (Fig. 6)

\
center of plastic hinge

__
i +

"O.25h "O.5h
o o 500 1000 1500 o 400 800

)
M (Itkip) $ (x10"/in.)
,
! I , ,

o 1000 2000 o 20 40
M (kNm) $ (x10"/mm)
Damage on Moment Diagram Compressive Curvature Profile
Column Strain Profile

Intact area due to confinement

effects of the stub
I :. L == O.95h
p 1.2h O.25h I

length of the plastic hinge region, where columns are

:Jl
expected to dissipate large amounts of inelastic energy by d1l
undergoing large inelastic deformations, 0.25h is subtracted ~ 1.3h

from the overall length in which compressive reinforcing bar g

strains greater than the yield strain are calculated.
The curvature profile depicted in Fig. 7(e) also shows a
similar trend in the compressive strain profile shown in
Fig. 7(d). Hence, the use of curvature distribution along the
height of a column can be considered as an alternative for
identifying the zone in which inelastic curvatures are localized.
While this curvature profile has been used by some
researchers,20,21 the use of the compressive strain profile
facilitates a clearer observation of the effect of axial loads on
the lp' In addition, because the damage in concrete is more
closely related to the magnitude of the concrete strains than
the curvatures, compressive strains were used in the method
described previously.
In this approach, it is assumed that plastic hinges start to
form when the maximum moment capacity is reached and,
therefore, important information on the plastic hinge formation
can be obtained by analyzing the compressive strain profile
when the maximum moment is reached. It is important to
note that the lp predicted in this manner can be used to
estimate flexural deformations only because sectional
analysis is used as the basis of calculations. To calculate
the tip deformation of columns, deformations due to bar slip
and shear deformations need to be calculated separately and
added to the flexural deformations.
The lengths of the potential plastic hinge regions of
Specimens S24-2UT through S24-5UT are estimated by
using the analysis procedure described previously. By using
the compressive strain profiles along heights of the test
specimens, the lp were estimated and the results of these
analyses are shown in Fig. 8. This figure illustrates that the
proposed method provides good estimations for the lp of the
column specimens tested in this study.
PARAMETRIC STUDY ON PLASTIC HINGE LENGTH
It was shown that the proposed concrete compression
strain method provided good estimations for the lp of the
columns tested in this study. Using the proposed method, the
influence of various parameters on the lp is studied. The
g
.!!2
o
o 0.002
Compressive Strain
:Jl :Jl
',g""E ',g""E
l'l l'l
lij 0.5h lij 0.5h
in in
o o
effect of axial load level (PIPo)' L/h, and the amount of
longitudinal reinforcement (PI = AsIAg) are investigated.
Axial load level
To study the effect of axial load on the lp" a s~uare
column (24 x 24 x 120 in.3 [610 x 610 x 3048 mm ]) is
studied. The percentage of longitudinal reinforcement is kept
constant at 1% (PI = 0.01) and the ratio of the center-to-center
distance of extreme reinforcement layers to the overall column
depth (y) is assumed to be 0.8. A concrete strength of 6000 psi
(41.4 MPa) is used. The yield and ultimate strength of
reinforcing bars are assumed to be 60 and 90 ksi (414 and
621 MPa), respectively. The curvature and compressive
concrete strain profiles along the length of the columns are
investigated for various axial load levels. Figure 9 illustrates
a summary of the results of the analyses. As can be observed
in this figure, the curvature profiles do not effectively show
the effect of axial load level. Unlike moment-curvature
relationships, the curvature profiles in Fig. 9(a) show curvature
profiles along the column height. In moment-curvature
relationships, the effect of axial load influences the strength
and stiffness. As these curvature profiles provide only
 Curvature(~, xl0"'mm) 1.5
o 5 10 15
'2
1.25
2"
5 ~Q

~ 4 0.5P. e;,

C
~ OAPo OJ
aJ
g
3 0.3P.
02P.
-'
OJ
0.75
OJ
.:= 2 c
0.5
g i'
u
'" 1
u; t; 0.25
<5 ro
o 0::
o 100 200 300 400 500 0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0

Curvature(~, x10"'in.) CompressiveStrain(",,) 2 4 6 8 10

Fig. 9-Effect of axial load on curvature and compressive Fig. ii-Relationship between plastic hinge length and
strain profiles. shear span-depth ratio.

Chapter 21 of the ACI Building Code23 requires closely-

'2
~ 1.25
(10) from a joint face where flexural yielding is likely to
0,
c occur as a result of large inelastic lateral displacement of
OJ
~ 0.75
OJ
0.5
u
~ 0.25
ro
0::
Fig. iO-Relationship between plastic hinge length and
axial load.
curvatures but not corresponding moments, however, the
effect of axial load is not reflected in these curvature profiles.
In contrast, the compressive strain profiles clearly illustrate
the influence of axial load.
For each case studied in Fig. 9, the length of the plastic
hinge is estimated using the procedure described previously.
In other words, the spread of reinforcing bar yielding in
compression is examined to establish the length of the plastic
hinges. Figure 10 summarizes the results of this analysis,
shown in Fig. 9(b). As can be seen in this figure, the length
of the plastic hinge is nearly constant for low axial loads
(P ~ 0.2Po)' For low axial loads, the lp is approximately
equal to 0.25h. Starting at an axial load of approximately
0.2Po' the lp increases with increasing axial loads. It is
interesting to note that Mendis 10 reported that the lp
measured in the columns tested in his research were not
sensitive to the axial load level. Considering the fact that all
of the columns studied by Mendis10 were tested under low
axial load levels (P ~ 0.2P 0) and bearing in mind the findings
of this parameuic studa' (summarized in Fig. 10), the conclusion
reported by Mendis I can be better appreciated.
The lp estimate of 0.25h (Fig. 10) can be compared with
O.4h recommended by Park et al.6 and 0.5h recommended by
Paulay and Priestley. 8 The differences observed in the lp
estimates can be attributed to the displacement components
used to estimate the lp' Only flexural displacements are
considered in the proposed analysis, as the strains experienced
by compression bars are obtained from the moment-curvature
relationships. On the other hand, the tip displacements are
used in estimating the lp by Park et al.6 and Paulay and
Priestley.8 As discussed previously, tip displacements
include bar slip and shear deformation components in addition
to the flexural deformations.
spaced transverse reinforcement be provided over a length
columns. The required length (10) of the ACI Code is the
largest of the overall depth of a column, 1/6 of the clear
height of a column, or 18 in. (457 mm). Figure 10 shows that
the estimated lp approaches 0.8h at an axial load ofO.52Po
(= <j>Pn,max= <j> x 0.8Po = 0.65 x 0.8Po)' which is the
maximum axial load permitted in the ACI Building Code.23
It is important to note that in the process of estimating the lp'
a distance of 0.25h from the face of the stub is subtracted, as
discussed in the procedure of concrete compression strain
method. Therefore, the total length from a joint face has to
be considered as the sum of the 17 and a distance of 0.25h
from the joint face. Accordingly, t~e total length from a joint
face is 1.05h at an axial load of 0.52Po' which is close to the
ACI required length (10) of 1,0h. An examination of Fig. 1,
however, shows that the length of the region where large
inelastic curvatures develop will be longer than the equivalent
plastic hinge region. Therefore, the required length of
closely-spaced transverse reinforcement needs to be larger
than the estimated plastic hinge region of 1.0h from the joint
face. In summary, the potential I specified by ACI 318-0523
is likely to be unsatisfactory for columns supporting high
axial loads.
Shear span-depth ratio (U h)
Researchers 1-5,7,8,10recognized that the length of a plastic
hinge is influenced by the L/h. To investigate the influence
of the Uh on the lp' a series of analyses were conducted. At this
stage of the parametric study, a 24 x 24 in.2 (610 x 610 mm2)
square column with varying Uh is considered. The longitudinal
reinforcement is kept constant (PI = 0.01) and a y value of 0.8
is used. The results of the analyses are summarized in Fig. II.
As can be observed in the figure, the lp increases with
increasing L/h for a given axial load level. For low axial
loads (~ 0.2P 0)' however, the increases observed in lp with
increasing L/h are insignificant.
For a given L/h, the lp increases with increasing axial
loads. The increases in lp observed at small L/h (2 < L/h < 3)
are less pronounced than those observed at a large L/h. It is
interesting to note that Park et a\.6 tested a series of columns
with an L/h of 2.2. Based on the test results, they concluded
that the lp was not affected by the axial loads and recommended
a lp of O.4h. Figure 11 clearly illustrates that for an L/h of2.2,
the effect of axial load on the lp is relatively small in comparison
with the effects seen at high L/h.
Amount of longitudinal reinforcement (PI = AsIAg)
Mattock3 reported that the Ip increased with a decrease in
the net tension reinforcement As -A; )IAb, where As is the
area of tension reinforcement, A; is the area of compression
reinforcement, and Ab is the area of balanced reinforcement).
The effect of net tension reinforcement was further studied
by Corley.5 In contrast, recently, MendislO reported that the
~ increased with an increasing amount of tension reinforcement.
It is important to note that these conclusions3.5.10 were primarily
based on the results from tests conducted on reinforced
concrete beams.
Due to the lack of consensus among various researchers,
the amount of longitudinal reinforcement has been ignored
in most previous proposals for estimating the Ip' To study the
effect of longitudinal reinforcement on Ip' a 24 x 24 in.2
(610 x 610 mm2) square column with a column height of
various displacement components and summing them
together. Those displacement components considered in
calculating the tip displacement of a column are: 1) flexural
displacements; 2) fixed-end rotations resulting from the slip
of longitudinal bars out of joints; and 3) shear displacements.
The additional displacements due to secondary moments
generated by the P-I'o. effect are also included.
The Ip estimated by using Eq. (11) are used in calculating
flexural displacements to approximate the descending part of
the lateral load response of concrete columns. A detailed
description of Eq. (11) can be found elsewhere. 19
Curvature (x10"'mm)
(a) 0 0.3 06 09
2500

120 in. (3048 mm), a Uh of 5, and a y value of 0.8 is studied. _ 2000

The results of the parametric study conducted on a 24 x 24 in.2 ""a.
;g. 1500
(610 x 610 mm2) square column are summarized in Fig. 12 C
and 13. As can be observed in Fig. 12(a), the post-cracking ~ 1000
o
stiffness and strength of the column sections increase with ::;;;

increasing reinforcement ratios.

The curvatures and reinforcing bar strains on the compression o
o 5 10 15 20 25
side are evaluated at maximum lateral load capacity and Curvature (x10"'in.)
plotted along the height of the column (Fig. 12(c) and (d.
An examination of the curvature and compressive strain
profiles along the height of the column indicates that with
P=0.3Po
increasing longitudinal reinforcement ratio (PI), the length of
the plastic hinge increases. Figure 13 also indicates this trend
V"
for various axial load levels. For all of the axial load levels,
Ip increases with increasing PII values.

PLASTIC HINGE LENGTH: NEW EXPRESSION

The previous discussion using the proposed concrete
compression strain method shows that axial load, Uh, and
the amount of longitudinal reinforcement are main parameters
for estimating the length of a plastic hinge. Based on this Curvature, '" Strain, &,

observation, a linear relationship between these parameters Curvature Profile Compressive Strain
(PIP0' Uh, andA/Ag) is assumed in developing the Ipexpression Profile

for simplicity. Least squares analyses were conducted to

identify a coefficient for each parameter using the UW /PEER Fig. 12-M oment and curvature curves with various amount
column database. Key features of the column database used of longitudinal reinforcement (P = O.3P0)'
for this purpose can be found elsewhere. 19 A new Ip expression
of Eq. (11) is proposed from a series of least squares analyses 2
'2
~
=e;,
.r: 1.5
c
Q)
-..J
Q)
0>
C
I
In the process developing the proposed Ip expression, a Ll 0.5
~
computer program is used to estimate the response of column
a::'"
specimens. The drift capacities of columns are estimated and 0

compared with experimentally measured drift capacities. 0 2 4 6 8 10

The computational algorithm used in this computer program

is illustrated in Fig. 14. As seen in Fig. 14, the tip
displacements of columns are calculated by estimating

Specimen Baker! Codey5 Mattock4 Park et al.6 Paulay and Priestley8 Sheikh and Khoury9 Measured Eq. (II)
S24-2UT O.60h O.49h O.70h OAOh O.80h l.OOh O.66h O.69h
SI7-3UT O.65h O.52h O.80h OAOh O.96h I.OOh O.91h O.86h
S24-4UT O.62h OA9h O.70h O.40h O.12h l.OOk OA9h O.25h
S24-5UT O.56h OA9h O.70h OAOh O.12h I.OOh OA7h O.25h

ACI Structural Journal/May-June 2008 297

 PLASTIC HINGLE LENGTH:
ESTIMATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS
To examine the accuracy of Eq. (11), the Ip of four full-
scale concrete column specimens are estimated using
various expressions and compared with the measured ip' as
shown in Table 2. This table illustrates that the use of Eq. (11)
results in good estimates for all test specimens. For specimens
tested under low axial loads (Specimens S24-4UT and
S24-5UT), Eq. (11) gives somewhat smaller ip than the
measured values. This is due to the fact that only flexural
displacements are considered in deriving Eq. (11). The
comparison of damaged specimens after tests (Fig. 8) shows
Flexural
Establish
displacement:
M-diagram and +-diagram
that the estimated ip by Eq. (11) are similar to sizes of
Calculate ~ from +-diagram
severely damaged regions.
Displacement due to bar srp
Calculate the extension of bars, u. altha base
Calculate 6...., from AlslWal & SaalClO lu2-l
For further evaluation, responses of test specimens are
estimated by using a computer program, which is described
in Fig. 14. The sectional and member responses of the test
specimens are used as bases of comparison. The Ip estimated
Secondary
Calculate
moment due
the secondary
to P-A effect"
moment due to PA
by various expressions including Eq. (11) are used in
effect
generating the member responses. The measured ip are also
use.d for this purpose. It is important to note that only the
flexural displacements and the magnified displacements
due to the P-!.l effect are used to get member responses
when Ip expressions other than the proposed are used (as
these ip expressions include the effect of other displacement
components and these displacements should not be
accounted for twice).
The estimated moment-curvature and lateral load-drift
plots of Specimens S24-2UT and S17-3UT (tested under
high axial loads) are illustrated in Fig. 15. As can be seen in

Curvature (x10~ /mm)

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60
2000 120 500

1500 400
1000 80
300
'ii: 1000 'ii: Z
:i 500 ~ ;g. 40 200 :!!.
500 Z 'tl 100 'tl
~ :!!. III III

C 0 0 C ...J0 0 0 ...J0
Ql Ql

E -500 E ~ -100 ~
0
::E
500 0
::E
$ -40 -200 ~
-1000 ...J
III
...JIII
-300
1000 -1500 -80
-400

-1500 -2000 120 -500

2000 -1000 0 1000 2000 -4 -2 0 2 4
Curvature (x106/in) Drift (%)

(a) S242UT

Curvature (x10-6/mm)
-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60
500 40
400
30 1: Parl<elal.
2: Paulay & Priestley
I
.: MatChingpoint from les 150

300 3: Sheikh & Khoury 100

'ii: 'ii: 20 Z
:i
200 E ;g. 4: Measured plastic hi
:!!.
200 5: Eq. (11)
100 Z 'tl 10 'tl
~ :!!. III 3& III

C 0 0 c ...J0 ...J0
Ql Ql

E -100
200 E ~ -50
~
0
::E -200
0
::E ~ $
...JIII -20 ...JIII
-300 -400 -100
-400 -30
-600 -150
-500 -40
2000 -1000 0 1000 2000 -4 -2 0 2 4
Curvature (x106/in) Drift (%)
 Curvature (x10-ll/mm)
-200 -100 0 100 200
1000 100
1200 400
800 80
300
600 800 60
c: c:
;g, 200 Z
:i:
400
400
E 40
~
200 Z "tl 20 100 "tl
~ ~ III
0
III
0
C
G>
0 0 c
G>
...J 0 0 ...J
E -200
-400 E ~ -20 -100 ~
0
-400
0 2 -40 2
:! :! III
...J -200 III
...J
-600 -800 -60
-300
-800 -80
-1200 -400
-1000 -100
-6000 -4000 -2000 0 2000 4000 6000 -8 -2 0 4 8
Curvature (x10-6/in) Drift (%)
(a) S24-4UT

Curvature (x10-ll/mm)
200 -100 0 100 200
1000 100
.: Matching point from test
800
1200
80 1: Park etal.
2: Paulay & Priestley
I 400
300
600 800 60
c: c: 3: Sheikh & KhOUry
200 Z
:i:
400
400
E ~ 40 4: Measuredplastic hi
5: Eq. (11) ~
200 Z "tl 20 100 "tl
~ ~ III
0
III
0
...J
C
G>
0 0 c
G>
...J 0 0

E -200
-400 E ~ -20 -100 ~
0
-400 0 2 -40 2
:! ~ III
...J 200 III
...J
-600 -800 -60
-300
-800 -80
-1200 -400
-1000 -100
-6000 -4000 -2000 0 2000 4000 6000 -8 -2 0 4 8
Curvature (x10-ll/in) Drift (%)
(b) S245UT

Fig. IS, the use of the lp expression proposed by Park et a1.6 1. In light of the experimental data on four full-scale
(lp = OAh) results in considerable underestimation of the drift concrete column tests, ACI 318-0S23 provisions for the
capacity. In contrast, the expressions proposed by Paulay length of the potential plastic hinge regions were found to be
and PriestleyS (lp = 0.8h) and Sheikh and Khoury9 (lp = 1.0h) slightly unconservative for columns supporting high axial
result in satisfactory predictions. The same trends can be loads. Although the experimental evidence is not exhaustive,
observed for Specimen S17-3UT, as shown in Fig. IS. it may be prudent to increase the length of the region in
Results of the analyses conducted on Specimens S24-4UT which closely-spaced ties are used from 1.0h to l.Sh from
and S24-SUT are included in Fig. 16. These specimens were the joint face until further experimental evidence is gathered;
tested under low axial load levels. Figure 16 shows that the 2. The level of axial load influenced the length of the
use of the lp expression proposed by Park et a1.6 (lp = OAh) plastic hinges that formed in the full-scale column specimens
results in a reasonably good estimation for the drift cajacity. tested in this research. Specimens tested under high axial
The expressions proposed by Paulay and Priestley (lp = loads developed longer plastic hinges than those tested under
O.12h) and Sheikh and Khoury9 (lp = 1.0h), however, result low axial loads; and
in overestimated predictions of the drift capacity. Therefore, 3. The following equation, developed in this research, can
it can be concluded that the use of some lp expressions work be used to estimate the length of the plastic hinges forming
for high axial loads, whereas they fail to provide satisfactory in columns supporting a wide range of axial loads.
estimates for low axialloads and vice versa. The use ofEg. (11),
however, results in satisfactory predictions both for high and
low axial load levels. In performance-based design, prediction
of the deformation capacity of reinforced concrete columns
~ [0.3(:) + 3(~) - 0.1 J(~ + 0.2S ~ 0.2S
is important. An analysis of Fig. IS and 16 clearly shows the
influence of the lp estimations on the drift capacity predictions. NOTATION
This analysis indicates the value of an expression that can Ab area of balanced reinforcement
provide reasonable estimations for lp forming in columns Ag gross area of concrete section
supporting high or low axial loads. As area of tension reinforcement
A; area of compression reinforcement
b width of compression face of member
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS c distance from extreme compression fiber to neutral axis
Based on the experimental and analytical research into the d effective depth of beam
seismic behavior of concrete columns reported in this study, db diameter of longitudinal reinforcement
the following conclusions can be drawn: f~ compressive strength of concrete
 yield stress of reinforcement
overall depth of column
0.7 for mild steel
0.9 for cold worked steel
I + 0.5(P!Pu)
0.9 - (0.3123.5)(f~ - 11.7) (f~ in MPa)
distance from critical section to point of contraflexure
plastic hinge length
applied axial force
0.85f~ (Ag -As) + fyAs
nominal axjalload capacity as per ACI 318-0523
tension reinforcement index (= A/bd xfylf~)
compressive reinforcement index (= A; !bd xf/f~)
balanced tension reinforcement index (= AtJbd xf!f~)
distance of critical section to point of contraflexure
plastic djsplacement
yield displacement
elastic concrete compressive strain
maximum concrete compressive strain
curvature (Eq. (2))
yield curvature
plastic rotation
A/All
longitudinal reinforcement ratio
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