The Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete Columns with Longitudinal Pre-Embedded Holes

While the longitudinal pre-embedded holes in a reinforced concrete column have a variety of beneficial functions during the whole life of the building, they have certain negative influences on the mechanical properties of the column. To investigate the influences of longitudinally pre-embedded holes on the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete (RC) columns, numerical simulations were conducted using the finite element software ABAQUS 2021 to analyze the effects of various parameters, including hole diameter, concrete strength, stirrup ratio, and slenderness ratio, on the mechanical behavior of RC columns under axial pressure. The results show that the presence of longitudinally pre-embedded holes reduces the load-bearing capacity of the columns. Furthermore, when the hole diameter exceeds 75 mm and the concrete strength is over C35, the failure mode of the columns shifts from axial compression failure to shear failure at the bending section of the pre-embedded hole. Increasing the stirrup ratio effectively enhances the ductility and load-bearing capacity and avoids brittle failure, whereas the influence of slenderness ratio variations on the column’s bearing capacity is negligible. These results provide a theoretical basis for the safe design of longitudinally pre-embedded hole columns in green buildings, effectively balancing the requirements between structural lightweight design and load-bearing performance.