Seismic performance of socket connection between precast concrete column and foundation

A precast concrete column-to-foundation socket connection with embedded reinforcement in the joint area was proposed in this paper to enhance the bonding of the socket joint between the precast concrete column and foundation. Six socket connection specimens and one reference cast-in-place specimen were designed and manufactured for pseudo-static tests. The hysteretic curves, skeleton curves, and the strains of steel bars of the specimens were analyzed, aiming to investigate the effect of the axial compression ratio and the layout of embedded reinforcement on the seismic performance of the socket connections. Finite element analysis was conducted using ABAQUS to explore the mechanism and the effective depth of the embedded reinforcement. The results show that the seismic performance of socket connection specimens is equivalent to that of the cast-in-place specimen and the failure mode of all components is compression bending damage at the bottom of the column, with their ultimate drift angles exceeding 1 / 60 and meeting the requirement of the current code limits. The increase of the axial compression ratio from 0 to 0. 264 leads to an increase in the ultimate bearing capacity of the specimens but a reduction in the ductility. Meanwhile, the energy dissipation capacity of the specimens may be improved in the later stage. The embedded reinforcement can reduce the buried depth of the socket connection specimens. The socket connection specimens with two rows of inverted triangular embedded reinforcement exhibit better ductility with a lower level of post-peak strength degradation. © 2023 Science Press. All rights reserved.