Effect of stiffeners in cleat angle based precast beam-column connections under reverse cyclic loading

Abstract

Generally, wet connections are preferred for joining the beam and column elements of conventional precast concrete frame, which significantly affect the advantages of speedy and cost effective construction. Moreover, after an earthquake, the monolithic form of wet connections leads to the irreparable damages of structural elements. Thereby consumes significant downtime for the reuse of the building. In order to address these issues, the present study focuses on the performance of mechanical device (cleat angle) connections with the incorporation of damage avoidance and easily demountable systems when subjected to reverse cyclic loading. Three precast connections of one-third scaled model with parameters such as no stiffener, single stiffener and double stiffener in cleat angles were proposed. The performance of the precast connections was compared with that of the monolithic connection in terms of load-displacement behavior, load envelope curves, deformation capacity, secant stiffness, energy dissipation, equivalent viscous damping and stiffness degradation. From the test results, the cleat angle with stiffener (single and double) connections performed satisfactorily as compared to that of precast connection with unstiffened cleat angle. Overall, the cleat angle connection with single stiffener satisfied the criteria of speedy construction, easily demountable with minimal structural damage and recommended for the moderate seismic regions.