Beam-Column Connections for Precast Concrete Frames Using High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites

L.F. Maya and L. Albajar

Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structures, Universidad Politcnica de Madrid, Spain

Abstract. Precast construction system interest has been growing given the emphasis on improving work zone safety, reducing construction time and environmental impact, while maintaining the quality. The connections are the more important singularity of precast construction systems, being the general behavior of the precast structures related to their design, construction and performance. A rigid beam-column connection typology for precast construction is proposed. This typology takes advantage of the outstanding properties of the High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (HPFRCC) and in particular its better bond conditions. The principal mechanism of connection is the splice of longitudinal beam reinforcement, which takes place at the end of the beam elements, outside the joint region. The configuration proposed avoids the interference between longitudinal and transverse reinforcement, reduces the in situ work and makes possible to define an efficient and safe construction process.

1 Introduction
Precast construction is regarded as an appealing alternative to be considered in a wide range of construction projects. It is due among other factors to the advantages related to the reduction in construction times, work force and in situ labors, as well as a more favorable cost-benefit relation, less environmental impacts, and greater control and final quality of the elements. However, the use of precast construction is sometimes limited by an inappropriate assessment of several typical singularities of these construction systems. Being the connections a critical factor and one of the most important singularities, they can determine the general structure behavior. Besides, the connections represent the construction process stage developed in situ, during which common problems at the structure assemblage process have to be faced. Several studies have been conducted over the last 25 years to evaluate the efficacy of using Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) to improve the behavior of beam-column connections. More recently, different proposals to incorporate High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (HPFRCC) in beam-column

G.J. Parra-Montesinos, H.W. Reinhardt, and A.E. Naaman (Eds.): HPFRCC 6, pp. 347354. RILEM 2012

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connections have been successfully tested [1, 2]. This research deepens on the same line by considering the incorporation of HPFRCC to develop continuity connections among precast elements. In particular, the use of these materials in reinforcement splices using short splice lengths is studied. A two stage experimental study was carried out in collaboration with the Technical Department of PRAINSA. During the initial stage, four beam flexion tests were performed to experimentally assess the behavior of short splices in simple flexural elements. In the second stage, a new interior beam-column connection for moment resisting frames was proposed and tested. This paper is devoted to describe the experimental results of the second stage of the study. A detailed description and theoretical analysis for first experimental stage is presented in [3].

2 Test Program
Four beam-column connections of precast elements were fabricated and tested. The elements represent a typical interior beam-column joint of a multi-storey frame bounded by the point of contra-flexure in the members. The tested elements consisted of a single column element and two beam elements framing at opposite sides of the joint, which were connected through the splice of the longitudinal reinforcement in the beam elements. The design process was performed according to the strong column and weak beam approach, as suggested in most of the modern design codes [4, 5]. A design detail of the test elements is shown in Fig. 1. The design of the elements was defined by the construction process proposed. The beam elements had channels at the top and the bottom, where the splices of the reinforcement took place. The channels were connected by two vertical ducts to allow the pouring of the HPFRCC in situ. The beam ends at each side of the column were different for practical erection-building purposes. The columns had two windows at the level of the beam channels to allow the splice bars to pass through the joint. Additionally, two other windows were left below the joint section to fix provisional supports during the construction process. Once the column had been erected, the beam with the longer channel was rested on a provisional support and the splice bars were slid through the windows in the column until the bar ends did not protrude from the column outer face. Then, the second beam was rested on the support at the opposite side of the column and the splice bars were slid to their final position, so that they spliced the longitudinal reinforcement of both beams.

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Fig. 1. Test element configuration and reinforcement details (unit:mm)

The configuration and construction process proposed enable to overcome some common drawbacks of beam-column connections for precast structures. Firstly, connection takes place outside the joint region, which is usually subjected to high stress demands. Furthermore, it is possible to provide closed stirrups all along the beam, including the beam ends close to the column faces, and into the joint core, where the confinement and shear strength are important to assure the proper element behavior and to fulfill the ductility requirements. Likewise, the HPFRCC poured in situ enables to establish some continuity among the precast elements, not being the sections at the column faces completely discontinuous. The test elements were designed such that the shear demand was high but it did not limit the strong column and weak beam approach. Two main variables were considered; the splice length and the transverse reinforcement spacing in the splice region. The splice lengths tested were 200 mm (10db ) and 300 mm (15db), while the spacing of the transverse reinforcement in the splice region was set as 100 mm and 150 mm, according to the beam test carried out previously [3]. Table 1 summarizes the test units fabricated. The reaction frame used in this study is an adaptation from the test setup described in [2], Fig. 2. The beams and the column were pin supported at their ends. The vertical displacements at the beam ends were restricted by double hinged supports, which also acted as pseudo-load cells. The top of the column was restrained in the horizontal plane but allowed vertical displacements, while the loads were applied through the actuators at the bottom of the column. A rail was set on the floor to prevent the test elements from moving transversally. The test setup did not allow axial loads to be applied to the column. The cyclic loading history used is illustrated in Fig. 3. Two cycles of each load step were applied, starting at 0.5% and increasing by steps of 0.5% until a 2.0% drift was achieved. Then, the step increment was set to 1%. All the precast elements were cast with self-compacting concrete, which average compressive strength tested on 150 mm x 300 mm cylinders and the age of testing are given in Table 1.

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Fig. 2. Experimental test setup

The reinforcement consisted of bars of quality B500SD. According to the Spanish Code [5], the characteristic yield stress and ultimate strength of the reinforcement are 500 and 575 MPa, respectively. Compact Reinforced Composite (CRC), a HPFRCC marketed by Hi-Con, was poured in situ to configure the splice regions. The average compressive strength tested on 100 mm side cubic specimens and the age of testing are also given in Table 1.

Fig. 3. Loading history

The lateral drift at the bottom of the column was measured by a linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT). Four LVDTs were located at the beam ends close to the column faces to measure the width of the foreseen cracks at the beamcolumn junctions. Additionally, other four LVDTs were located at the beam ends to measure the average strain on a base length of 400 mm in the CVP-1A element and 300 mm in the rest of the elements (see Fig. 5). A pseudo displacement control was implemented for the load steps, according to the actuator and testing facilities available. The load was first applied in one direction by means of an actuator. Then, the unit was unloaded and loaded in the opposite direction by means of another actuator to complete the cycle. Unfortunately, due to the characteristics of the actuators used, it was possible to register the load steps but not the unloading steps. Although the load history was registered by the load cell in the actuator, the vertical supports at the beam ends were also instrumented to act as pseudo-load cells, since the friction on the rail was an uncertainty.

Beam-column Connections for Precast Concrete Frames Table 1. Element and material properties
Splice configuration Transverse Splice reinforcement length spacing (mm) s (mm) 300 100 300 150 200 100 200 150 Material properties Precast Elements HPFRCC Age of Age of fc fc,HPFRCC testing testing (MPa) (MPa) (days) (days) 53.6 203 147.1 190 52.6 216 145.0 205 59.7 226 127.0 215 59.5 231 133.4 219

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Element

CPV-1A CPV-2A CPV-1B CPV-2B

3 Test Results
The general behavior of the four tested elements corresponded with the expected behavior for rigid frame elements subjected to lateral forces. From the first loading steps, the tested elements were cracked at the beam-column junction. Additional flexural cracks were observed along the beam elements outside the HPFRCC poured region, increasing their width and depth during the test. Horizontal cracks were observed in the column elements with approximately the same spacing of the transverse reinforcement, as well as a pair of horizontal cracks that defined completely the joint region. Furthermore, diagonal shear cracks were observed in the joint but they did not compromise the integrity of this detailed region. The load-drift curves of all the elements are shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Load-drift curves

The story drift of the elements varied between 2.9% and 4.6%. The measured and calculated maximum load Vc and the joint shear stress vjh are listed in Table 2.

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The calculated strength is based on the flexural strength of the reinforced beams, assuming monolithic behavior of the frame element. The actual concrete properties listed in Table 1 and reinforcement bars of quality B500SD were considered. Furthermore, for the reinforcing steel an overstrength factor of 1.25 was considered.
Table 2. Experimental results
Element CPV-1A CPV-2A CPV-1B CPV-2B
 (kN) 174.7 172.2 138.1 135.7

1.10 1.09 0.87 0.86

1.04 1.03 0.78 0.77

(MPa) 7.6 7.5 6.0 5.9

Elements CPV-1A and CPV-2A attained approximately 9% higher lateral load than the calculated value, while elements CPV-1B and CPV-2B attained approximately 85% of the strength calculated. The failure of elements CPV-1B and CVP-2B was determined by the short splice length, 200 mm (10db). The crack width at the beam-column junction increased due to the progressive loss of bond capacity in the splices as the load and drift were also increased with the cycles. Element CVP-2B, which had a lower transverse reinforcement ratio, exhibited a more fragile failure than element CVP-1B, being observed an extensive cracking in the splice region. A single but wider crack was observed at the beam-column junction in the splice region of element CPV-1B, as is show in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5. Splice regions under tension. Element CVP-2B (left), element CVP-1A (right)

Element CVP-1A and CVP-2A tests were stopped once the loading process became unsafe, given the type of actuators and the pseudo-displacement control process employed. However, at the final stage of the tests there was no evidence of bond failure in the splice regions. The aspect of element CPV-1A at the 3.7% drift cycle is shown in Fig. 6. Both element CPV-1A and element CVP-2A did not exhibit fragile failure, which indicates the adequacy of the 300 mm (15db) splice length for the proposed precast connection system. Other precast yielding connections but with different typologies than the element tested in this research

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have been satisfactorily assessed for moment-resisting frames [2, 6, 7, 8]. Unlike the cast in place systems, the complete formation of plastic hinges in the precast beams was not observed, in agreement with the expected behavior of yielding connections. Moreover, the continuity established among the precast elements by the HPFRCC poured in situ and the better bond condition enable a more uniform distribution of the steel strains in the critical region of the beam elements. The tension chord behavior is defined by the composite action between bar reinforcement and the HPFRCC, being the post-cracking behavior positively influenced by the action of the HPFRCC. Finally, beam-column joint behavior involves an interaction between strut and truss mechanisms, where large shear and bond strength can be required [9]. The better bond condition of the reinforcement in the splice regions and into the joint core enabled to develop adequately the joint resistance mechanisms. The strut mechanism of the forces flow through the joint was observed in the element CVP2A, as is shown in Fig. 6. However, the joint behavior did not limit the load capacity of the whole frame, despite the beam flexural overstrength.

Fig. 6. Element CVP-1A. c=3.7% (left), element CVP-2A, c=4.6% (right)

4 Concluding Remarks
A beam-column connection typology for precast construction is proposed and the following conclusions were obtained from the experimental results: The behavior of the precast connection proposed was adequate and corresponds with the expected behavior of yielding connections for moment-resisting frames. The use of HPFRCC in the splice region enables to reduce the splice length required. As a result, it is possible to propose a simple and efficient construction process. The construction process proposed aims to reduce in situ labors and construction time, while overcoming some common drawbacks of beamcolumn connections for precast structures. Closed stirrups can be provided all along the beam and into the joint core, where confinement and shear strength are important to assure the adequate element behavior.

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Joint damage is not extensive, given the localization of the connection outside the joint core. However, the strut and truss mechanisms were observed at the joint region, indicating adequate bond and shear strength. A splice length of 15db (300 mm) was enough to provide the required connection performance, preventing the occurrence of fragile bond failures. Other bonding materials will influence the ratio between splice length and bar diameter. A theoretical model has been developed to assess this ratio. Additional analysis of the complete experimental results is being performed. Alternative proposals of bond connections for precast structures will be the subject of subsequent studies.
Acknowledgements. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this research from PRAINSA, Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science, Hi Con, ACHE, and ANDECE. The technical support and advice of the Technical Department of PRAINSA and Hi Con were fundamental in carrying out this study. The authors would also like to extend special thanks to the technicians of the laboratory of the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science for their invaluable assistance.

References
[1] Parra-Montesinos, G., Peterfreund, S., Chao, S.: Highly damage-tolerant beam-column joints through use of high-performance fiber reinforced cement composites. ACI Structural Journal 102(3), 487495 (2005) [2] Brooke, N., Ingham, J.: Advanced fiber reinforced precast concrete beam-column joints. In: Proceedings of the New Zealand Concrete Industry Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand (2006) [3] Maya, L.F., Albajar, L., Moran, F., Portabella, J.: Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) for connections between precast elements. Informes de la Construccin 62(510), 2741 (2010) (in Spanish) [4] American Concrete Institute, Building code requirements for structural concrete and commentary. ACI 318-08. ACI Committee 318, Farmington Hills, MI, USA (2008) [5] Comisin Permanente del Hormign, Instruccin de Hormign Estructural EHE 2008 (2008) [6] Castro, J., Yamaguchi, T., Imai, H.: Seismic performance of precast concrete beamcolumn joints. Journal of Structural Construction Engineering AIJ 455, 113126 (1994) [7] Alcocer, S., Carranza, R., Perez-Navarrete, D., Martinez, R.: Seismic test of beam-tocolumn connections in a precast concrete frame. PCI Journal 47(3), 7089 (2002) [8] Khaloo, A., Parastesh, H.: Cyclic loading response of simple moment-resisting precast concrete beam-column connection. ACI Structural Journal 100(4), 440445 (2003) [9] Paulay, T., Park, R., Priestley, M.: Reinforced concrete beam column joints under seismic action. ACI Structural Journal 75(11), 585593 (1978)