AbstractThis work aims to investigate the behavior of textile‐reinforced concrete (TRC) members subject to compressive loads. An experimental program including concentric compression tests on I‐section columns with different lengths and simply‐supported ends was carried out. From compression tests, load versus lateral deflection curves obtained experimentally are reported along with maximum loads and apparent imperfections determined using the Southwell technique. Failure modes were characterized by excessive lateral deflections for longer columns, whereas concrete crushing failure due to combined bending and axial load occurred for shorter columns. Surrounding concrete was effective in restraining the textile reinforcement against buckling, allowing it to sustain the compressive loads. A single degree‐of‐freedom model accounting for normal‐moment‐curvature relation and tension stiffening behavior is validated against experiments and used to carry out a parametric study. Results show that the nonsway moment magnification method recommended by the ACI Code 440.11‐22 can be applied to TRC columns, although leading to overestimated second‐order effects.