The yield performances and failure mode of reinforced concrete (RC) columns, which are critical structural performances to the design and research of engineering structures, have a significant impact on the dynamic response, the performance level, and the design of seismic ductility. The traditional empirical theoretical method used to predict the yield performances and failure mode leads to large dispersions in most cases. To better estimate the yield performances and failure mode of RC columns, this paper developed a novel neural network method. Empirical theoretical models are used to determine the input parameters of the neural network by analyzing the factors that affect the yield performance and failure mode of RC columns, and the rationality of these parameters is verified by sensitivity analysis. The back-propagation (BP) neural network method was adopted. The influence of the number of hidden neurons was studied to improve the model accuracy. Comparative analysis revealed that the prediction results of the neural network are in good agreement with the experimental results and are more accurate than other traditional empirical theoretical models. The initial parameters were optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO), which has been proven to be superior to the genetic algorithm (GA) and sparrow search algorithm (SSA) optimization methods in terms of effectiveness and computation time. The high generalization ability of the prediction model was calibrated using the test and validation sets and another eight additional sets of experimental data. The proposed method provides a new way to predict the structural performance under seismic actions when experimental data are insufficient.

Accurately simulating the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete (RC) columns under cyclic loading is crucial in performance-based seismic design for building structures, especially regarding strength degradation. This paper presents the description, calibration and simulation of the hysteretic model for RC columns based on effective hysteretic energy dissipation with positive and negative directions. During the analysis of previous experimental data, the relationship between hysteresis energy dissipation, maximum displacement, and the effects of positive and negative loading directions on strength degradation has been summarized. The proposed method for determining the yield strength of the hysteresis loop is based on the farthest point method. Calibration of the hysteretic models’ existing RC columns’ experimental data demonstrates that the proposed model can simulate the main characteristics that influence deterioration.