An experimental investigation of the behaviour of connections in thin precast concrete panels under earthquake loading

Investigations of connections for precast concrete panel buildings have shown that it is difficult to design an embedded connection that will perform well under earthquake loading. Some typical connections use studs or reinforcing bars embedded in the edge of the panel. These are then welded or bolted to an adjacent panel. During earthquake loading the crushing of concrete around the embedment usually leads to premature loss of strength and stiffness of the connection before significant ductility can develop. It has been found that connection performance improves with increasing panel thickness. The behaviour of embedded connections in thin precast concrete panels was investigated. The intent was to improve connection design details and to develop a simple method of predicting connection strengths with panel thicknesses of 50 mm to 75 mm. Sixteen connections of six different types were tested. Three were tested monotonically and thirteen were tested under reversed cyclic loading. Certain types of connections can be used to transfer earthquake loads between thin concrete panels as long as they have adequate strength. Methods for predicting the strength of connections are discussed. The connections tested should not be relied on to develop ductility.Applied Science, Faculty ofCivil Engineering, Department ofGraduat