This paper presents a study carried out for the seismic capacity in reinforced concrete(RC) piers by the confinement effect of transverse reinforcement as such a hooked-tied, welded-tied and spiral reinforcement. In order to assess the seismic capacity with transverse reinforcement, experiment리 and analytical methods were adopted. A RC column survey was conducted based on eight one-fourth scale single circular column specimens designed and tested under slow horizontal cyclic loads. Two cases were analyzed. The confinement effect of concrete by transverse reinforcement is considered not in Case 1 but in Case 2. Also, we studied the propriety of making use of the method in which a carbon fiber rod replace spiral reinforcement in RC piers. In experimental tests, a welded-tied and spiral reinforcement has a good seismic capacity, but a carbon fiber rod presents low ductility in comparison with a hooked-tied reinforcement. In an analytical study, displacement ductility is approximate to the experimental result because of considering the confinement effect of the transverse reinforcement. Even if the confinement effect of the transverse reinforcement is considered, the analytical results for ductility of the specimens with welded-tied and spiral reinforcement show an excessive underestimation of the experimental results.