Seismic Behavior of Bolted Endplate Connection Between Steel Reinforced Concrete (SRC) Wall and SRC Beam for Use in High-Rise Buildings

Abstract

To improve the constructability of the steel and concrete composite coupled wall system while maintaining good seismic performance in terms of strength, stiffness and energy dissipation capacity, the bolted endplate connection between steel reinforced concrete (SRC) wall and SRC beam has been proposed and studied. The endplate is shop welded to the end of steel beam and then fastened to the flange of steel column at boundary element of wall pier through high-strength bolts before the fabrication of reinforcement cage and concrete pouring for the composite beams. Five SRC beam-SRC wall subassembly specimens were designed, constructed and tested subjected to cyclic displacement reversals at SRC beam end. The test parameters included the amount of steel plate embedded in SRC beams and the influence of slab. The responses of the specimens in terms of load–displacement hysteretic responses, cracking patterns, ductility, strength and stiffness degradation characteristics were discussed. The test results show that through rational design the bolted endplate connection can satisfactorily ensure the load transfer mechanism between SRC beam and SRC wall such that the SRC beam can fully develop its strength, ductility, post-yield strength and stiffness retention capacities. The strength, post-yield deformation and energy dissipation capacity of SRC coupling beams can be effectively enhanced by increasing the steel plate ratio. The existence of slab can enhance the overall seismic performance of SRC beam. Nonlinear finite element modeling approach was developed and verified by comparison with the test results, showing good agreement in terms of the skeleton and hysteresis curves.