Role of concrete confinement of wide-flange structural steel shape in steel reinforced concrete columns under cyclic loading

•Effects of bending directions on the confinement of SRC columns were investigated.•Concrete confinement of SRC columns were highly influenced by bending directions.•Details of the underlying confining mechanisms of SRC columns were uncovered.

In this study, effects of wide-flange structural steel shapes on concrete confinement of steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns were examined by conducting structural testing on six large-scale SRC columns under cyclic loading. Specifically, effects of the major- and minor-axis bending relative to the steel shape on the ductility and confinement effectiveness of SRC columns were investigated. Experimental results showed that concrete confinement of SRC columns were highly influenced by the bending direction. Details of the underlying confining mechanisms of SRC columns were uncovered. Findings from this study indicated that the required confinement reinforcement for the SRC columns subjected to major-axis bending could be significantly reduced, compared to that of the SRC columns subjected to minor-axis bending.