Experimental and Numerical Analyses on the Seismic Performance of a Novel Precast Concrete Column-column Joints with Bolted End-plate Connection

To develop a precast concrete frame structure suitable for detachable design, a novel precast concrete column-column joint with bolted end-plate connection (BEPC) was proposed in this paper. To study the mechanical properties of the joint, three specimens involving one monolithic column (MC) and two precast columns (PC) with different joint position were tested by cyclic reversed loading at a certain compression ratio. The results show that the proposed joint has reliable seismic performance and the joint position has little impact on seismic performance. After the tests, these joints always kept linear elasticity under ultimate load, and were easy to disassemble, which met the requirement of detachable design. Finally, a fiber-based finite-element analysis model was developed to simulate the seismic behavior of this type of PC. The numerical results were verified by the experimental results. Then a parametric study based on the simplified model was conducted to research the effects of main structural factors on the seismic behavior of the joint.