Eight sets of large, circular, short reinforced concrete columns were tested under monotonic axial compression. The primary variables are type of transverse reinforcement (spiral vs. circular tie), type of splice, end hook length and staggered length of adjacent circular ties. The tests confirmed the acceptable performance of the circular tie newly proposed in ACI 318M-11. In addition, the circular tie scheme in which the ends terminate with hooks that engage with a longitudinal steel bar and bend into the concrete core is acceptable for performance and ease of construction. The effectiveness of its end hook length and the staggered length of adjacent circular ties is also investigated.