Precast Concrete Members With Welded Plate Connections Under Reversed Cyclic Loading

Abstract

94 Precast concrete beams with dry joints, designed for multistory buildings located in a seismic area, were tested under reversed cyclic loading. In the original design, the connection was intended to transfer both shear and moment. It consisted of two steel plates, one at the top, the other at the bottom, welded to the anchored steel plates in the column bracket and the beam. The design was later revised by adding side plates. Five specimens with such connections and two monolithic reference specimens were tested under reversed cyclic loading to study their behavior under seismic action. The main variables were the presence of side plates and the joint width. Based on the test results, it is concluded that side plates are essential for dry joints which are expected to be subjected to seismic action. It is also concluded that for such connections, joint width is an important parameter and, therefore, tolerances should be checked carefully during erection.