Upgrading of Precast Roof Beam–Column Connections with Seismic Safety Key Devices

Precast Structures Connections SSK Device SSK-Upgraded Connections Model Testing Seismic Performance.

Authors

  • Jelena Ristic Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Balkan University (IBU), 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6752-7585
  • Labeat Misini
    labeat.misini@uni-pr.edu
    Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo.
  • Danilo Ristic Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (IZIIS), Skopje, SS Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
  • Viktor Hristovski Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (IZIIS), Skopje, SS Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
Vol. 10 No. 5 (2024): May
Research Articles

Downloads

To meet the increasing demands for innovations in precast systems with high seismic resistance, in this study, we introduced a novel seismic upgrading technique for roof beam-column (RBC) connections, termed the targeted seismic upgrading (TSU) method, incorporating the innovative seismic safety key (SSK) devices we developed. These devices significantly enhance seismic resilience, offering a substantial improvement over traditional pin-based RBC connections in precast structures, which are known to have limited effectiveness. Our experimental tests on half-scale models of conventional RBC connections, coupled with comprehensive refined finite element method-based nonlinear analytical studies, conclusively demonstrated the enhanced seismic retrofitting capabilities of RBC connections augmented with SSK devices. The paper delineates a technical procedure for applying the SSK, our proprietary innovation, for the targeted seismic upgrading of RBC connections within modern precast systems. Notably, the SSK-upgraded RBC connections exhibited a marked increase in safety, as evidenced by results from experimentally validated nonlinear three-dimensional micro-analytical models. The incorporated flexible design elements in the TSU method ensure its high effectiveness and general applicability for seismic upgrading of both existing and new precast industrial hall structures, offering a significant advancement in this specific seismic engineering topic.

 

Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-05-06

Full Text: PDF