Numerical investigation of precast concrete frames with grouted sleeves and intermediate connections

Abstract

It has previously been concluded that the seismic performance of Precast Concrete (PC) frames with grouted sleeves is inferior to that of corresponding Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames. In order to both improve the seismic performance and reduce the construction cost as much as possible, a construction technique referred to as an ‘intermediate connection’ was proposed and used for PC frames. The basic design philosophy of the ‘intermediate connection’ is that PC columns were joined in their central region where the bending moment is reduced. In order to study the effect of intermediate connections, numerical simulations were implemented using modelling methods that were validated by comparing numerical results with experimental data of columns, joints and frames from previous studies. Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) and a probabilistic based approach were used to derive fragility functions for the considered PC and RC frames, and Cost Analysis was undertaken to evaluate the practicability of the improvements for PC frames with grouted sleeves.