Numerical study on seismic behaviour of precast concrete connection zone

Precast industrial plants in Turkey experienced considerable damage during the recent earthquakes in Turkey. The presented paper is based on a parametric study to evaluate the seismic performance of a code-designed moment-transferring scarfed connection that is widely utilized in precast industrial buildings in Turkey. Firstly, the seismic behavior of a typical symmetrically pitched double-bay precast framed system with a scarfed beam to the column connections was investigated. The coefficient of elastic rotational stiffness, Rθ, and maximum stress values were then obtained by finite element idealization with an approach of a repeated analysis. Finally, a parametric study was carried out for different values of Rθ in order to evaluate the effect of joint elasticity on the behavior of a precast frame under seismic action.