Experimental characterization of the momentrotation relationship of the beam-column connection in precast concrete

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the semi-rigid behaviour of typical beam-column connections for precast concrete structures, designed to resist negative bending moment with continuity bars crossing the central column through corrugated sleeves filled with grout with cast-in-place topping on the precast beams. The experimental program involved 06 tests with cruciform prototypes with large scale of beam-column connections, where the detail of the negative continuity bars was the same for all the models, varying the positive connections of the beam support on the corbel, being 2 models with bearing pads with elastomer and dowel bars, 2 models with grouted joint and dowel bars and 2 models with positive welded plates. Based on the experimental results, it was observed that the positive connections had a secondary influence on the negative secant stiffness of the beam-column connections, wherein the average stiffness achieved for the models with welded plates was just 11% higher than the stiffness obtained for the models with elastomeric pads. On the other hand, it can be deduced that the secant stiffness is strongly associated with the elongation deformation mechanism of the negative reinforcement, with bond-slip at the cracked positions of the connection region prior the yielding of the rebars, with the increasing of the opening of the beam-column interface due to partial pullout of the grout from the corrugated sleeve. Considering a reinforced concrete beam with secant stiffness of (E_cI)_sec = 0,5E_cI and a virtual length L = 12h (h = beam height), it has been obtained a partial restrainement of 65%.

Keywords
Precast structures; beam-column connections; stiffness; experimental methodology