This research aims to determine the effect of loading pattern on the damage of a reinforced concrete bridge column. In the literature review, some common quasi-static loading patterns used in New Zealand, United States and Japan are summarised, and the standard cyclic loading pattern which has been used extensively at the University of Canterbury is introduced. The fatigue based damage model used in this research to estimate the damage of the test specimens is reviewed, and the de§.ign procedure of a reinforced concrete bridge column using the latest Japanese specification is summarised. Five specimens were made and tested with four different cyclic loading patterns; four specimens were identical and one specimen was constructed with low strength concrete. The specimens were scale models of a reinforced concrete bridge column designed using the Japanese specification. Three specimens were cyclically loaded in one direction, and the other two were bi-directionally loaded, all combined with a uniform axial load. From the test result, the plastic hinge zone length was calculated and compared to some theoretical values. Moment-curvature analyses were carried out and the energy dissipated by the specimens was obtained from the test results. The transition of damage index was also calculated from the loading history of the tests using a fatigue-based damage model. From the result of the analysis, a procedure to predict the failure of a reinforced concrete column subjected to uni-directionalloading or bi-directionalloading, is proposed.