A method has been established through experiments to evaluate the deformation characteristics of railway viaduct columns at high precision, while the deformation capacity of rigid frame pier columns and other RC member of small shear span ratio has not been clarified yet.  This results in irrational design since it is impossible to consider the ductility of members in seismic design.  Therefore, load tests were performed by using specimens which modeled rigid frame pier columns.  As a result, it was clarified that the development of cracks along longitudinal reinforcements does not constitute flexural failure, the ductility decreases occasionally, and it is possible to evaluate the ductility appropriately by using the calculation method shown in the seismic design code for flexural failure.

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