Abstract： To enhance the energy dissipation, deformation and self-healing capabilities of RC pier columns under strong earthquakes, and to achieve rapid recovery of bridge structure functions after earthquakes, this paper adopts shape memory alloys (SMA) wire to constrain RC pier columns. The seismic performance of RC pier columns constrained by SMA wire under horizontal cyclic loading is also tested through experiments. Six SMA wire constrained RC pier column specimens and one common RC pier column specimen are fabricated. Through cyclic low frequency loading test, the influences of SMA wire configuration rate and prestress level on the seismic performance of the RC pier column, including the failure mode, hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, bearing capacity, ductility, stiffness and energy consumption, are analyzed. The research results show that, compared with the shear failure of common RC pier columns, the failure mode of SMA wire-constrained RC pier columns has been changed into a certain ductile bending shear failure or shear bending failure; with the increase of the SMA wire configuration rate, the shear capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the RC pier column are improved, which enhances the seismic performance; the prestressed wire provides greater binding force, shares more shear force, improves the deformability of the core concrete, and enhances the seismic performance of RC pier columns. The research results provide novel strategies and experimental proof of reinforcement and rapid recovery after earthquakes for RC pier columns.
