Experimental study on the seismic performance of new precast concrete beam-column joints with replaceable connection

Abstract

To improve the seismic performance of precast concrete beam-column joints and facilitate rapid repair during post-earthquake, a novel type of dry precast concrete beam-column connection with multi-slit devices (MSDs) is proposed in this paper. To investigate the seismic performance of the proposed precast joint, three full-scale specimens were tested under cyclic loading, including two precast exterior beam-column joints and one cast-in-place concrete joint. The seismic behavior of the precast and cast-in-place joints was investigated and compared in terms of failure mode, strength, initial stiffness, hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation and deformation capacity. The test results show that the seismic performance of the precast beam-column joints is superior to the cast-in-place joint in terms of load-carrying capacity, stiffness, energy dissipation and deformation capacity, and the precast beam and column components are basically kept within the elastic range during the entire loading process. Therefore, the precast beam-column joint proposed in this paper can provide a good choice for the application of prefabricated concrete structures in high-risk earthquake regions. Furthermore, a simplified mechanical model of the precast beam-column joint is proposed, which will lay a foundation for the simulation and analysis of the seismic performance of this kind of prefabricated structures.