• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.443-460
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• 2016

In this paper, the efficiency and effectiveness of two strengthening methods for upgrading behavior of the two external weak reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column joints were experimentally investigated under cyclic loading. Since two deficient external RC joints with reduced beam height and low strength concrete were strengthened using one-way steel prop and curbs with and without steel revival sheets on the beam. The cyclic performance of these strengthened specimens were compared with two another control external RC beam-column joints, one the standard RC joint that had not two mentioned deficiencies and another had both. Therefore, four half-scale RC joints were tested under cyclic loading.The experimental results showed that these innovative strengthening methods (RC joint with revival sheet specially) surmounted the deficiencies of weak RC joints and upgraded their performance and bearing capacity, stiffness degradation, energy absorption, up to those of standard RC joint. Also, results exhibited that the prop at joint acted as a fuse element due to adding steel revival sheets on the RC beam and showed better behavior than that of the specimen without steel revival sheets. In other words by stiffening of beam, the prop collected all damages due to cyclic loading at itself and acted as the first line of defense and prevented from sever damages at RC joint.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.73 no.6
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• pp.613-620
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• 2020

The research study is focuses on a form of all-bolted joint with the external ring stiffening plate in the prefabricated steel structure. The components are bolted at site after being fabricated in the factory. Six specimens were tested under cyclic loading, and the effects of column axial compression ratio, concrete-filled column, beam flange sub plate, beam web angle cleats, and spliced column on the failure mode, hysteretic behavior and ductility of the joints were analyzed. The results shown that the proposed all-bolted joint with external ring stiffening plate performed high bearing capability, stable inflexibility degradation, high ductility and plump hysteretic curve. The primary failure modes were bucking at beam end, cracking at the variable section of the external ring stiffening plate, and finally welds fracturing between external ring stiffening plate and column wall. The bearing capability of the joints reduced with the axial compression ratio increased. The use of concrete-filled steel tube column can increase the bearing capability of joints. The existence of the beam flange sub plate, and beam web angle cleat improves the energy dissipation, ductility, bearing capacity and original rigidity of the joint, but also increase the stress concentration at the variable section of the external reinforcing ring plate. The proposed joints with spliced column also performed desirable integrity, large bearing capacity, initial stiffness and energy dissipation capacity for engineering application by reasonable design.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.113-127
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• 2020

In this study, the behavior of external beam-column joints reinforced by plain and deformed bars with non-seismic reinforcement details is investigated and compared. The beam-column joints represented in this study include a benchmark specimen by seismic details in accordance with ACI 318M-11 requirements and four other deficient specimens. The main defects of the non-seismic beam-column joints included use of plain bar, absence of transverse steel hoops, and the anchorage condition of longitudinal reinforcements. The experimental results indicate that using of plain bars in non-seismic beam-column joints has significantly affected the failure modes. The main failure mode of the non-seismic beam-column joints reinforced by deformed bars was the accumulation of shear cracks in the joint region, while the failure mode of the non-seismic beam-column joints reinforced by plain bars was deep cracks at the joint face and intersection of beam and column and there was only miner diagonal shear cracking at the joint region. In the other way, use of plain bars for reinforcing concrete can cause the behavior of the substructure to be controlled by slip of the beam longitudinal bars. The experimental results show that the ductility of non-seismic beam-column joints reinforced by plain bars has not decreased compared to the beam-column joints reinforced by deformed bars due to lack of mechanical interlock between plain bars and concrete. Also it can be seen a little increase in ductility of substructure due to existence of hooks at the end of the development length of the bars.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.68-75
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• 2021

In this study, the anchoring performance of 57mm headed bars anchored at the external beam-column joint under cyclic loading was evaluated. A total of 6 external beam-column joint test specimens were planned, and anchorage performance was evaluated by setting concrete compressive strength, side covering thickness, lateral reinforcement ratio, and fracture type as major experimental variables. As result of cyclic loading test, it was found that the factors that had the greatest influence on the anchoring capacity of the large-diameter headed bar anchored at the joint were the side cover thickness and the transverse reinforcing bar. It was confirmed that the 57mm large-diameter headed bar anchored at the external beam-column joint showed sufficient anchoring capacity even under cyclic loading.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.531-542
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• 2018

In this paper an analytical model in a closed form able to reproduce the monotonic flexural response of external RC beam-column joints with smooth rebars is presented. The column is subjected to a constant vertical load and the beam to a monotonically increasing lateral force applied at the tip. The model is based on the flexural behavior of the beam and the column determined adopting a concentrated plasticity hinge model including slippage of the main reinforcing bars of the beam. A simplified bilinear moment-axial force domain is assumed to derive the ultimate moment associated with the design axial force. For the joint, a simple truss model is adopted to predict shear strength and panel distortion. Experimental data recently given in the literature referring to the load-deflection response of external RC joints with smooth rebars are utilized to validate the model, showing good agreement. Finally, the proposed model can be considered a useful instrument for preliminary static verification of existing external RC beam-column joints with smooth rebars for both strength and ductility verification.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.237-250
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• 2017

There has been increasing attention in many countries on seismic retrofit of old fashioned RC structures in recent years. In such buildings, the joints lack transverse reinforcement and suffer inadequate seismic dimensional requirements and the reinforcement is plain bar. The behavior of the joints is governed by sliding of steel bars and diagonal shear failure is less influential. Different methods to retrofit beam-column joints have been proposed in the literature such as wrapping the joint by FRP sheets, enlargement of the beam-column joint, and strengthening the joint by steel sheets. In this study, an enlargement technique that uses external prestressed cross ties with steel angles is examined. The technique has already been used for substructures reinforced by deformed bars and has advantages such as efficient enhancement of seismic capacity and lack of damage to the joint. Three reference specimens and two retrofitted units are tested under increasing lateral cyclic load in combination with two levels of axial load. The reference specimens showed relatively low shear strength of 0.150${\surd}$($f_c$) and 0.30${\surd}$($f_c$) for the exterior and interior joints, respectively. In addition, relatively brittle behavior was observed and large deformations extended into the panel zone of the joints. The retrofit method has increased ductility ratio of the interior beam-column joints by 63%, and energy dissipation capacity by 77%, relative to the control specimen; For external joints, these values were 11%, and 94%. The retrofit method has successfully relocated the plastic joints far from the column face. The retrofit method has improved shear strength of the joints by less than 10%.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.389-410
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• 2004

In this study, theoretical and experimental results are presented which were obtained during an investigation of the influence of the $P-{\Delta}$ effect that was caused by the simultaneous changing of the axial load P of the column and the lateral displacement ${\Delta}$ in the external beam-column joints. The increase or decrease of ${\Delta}$ was simultaneous with the increase or decrease of the axial compression load P and caused an additional influence on the aseismic mechanical properties of the joint. A total of 12 reinforced concrete exterior beam-column subassemblies were examined. A new model, which predicts the beam-column joint ultimate shear strength, was used in order to predict the seismic behaviour of beam-column joints subjected to earthquake-type loading plus variable axial load and $P-{\Delta}$ effect. Test data and analytical research demonstrated that axial load changes and $P-{\Delta}$ effect during an earthquake cause significant deterioration in the earthquake-resistance of these structural elements. It was demonstrated that inclined bars in the joint region were effective for reducing the unfavourable impact of the $P-{\Delta}$ effect and axial load changes in these structural elements.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2019

Experience of previous earthquakes shows that a considerable portion of concrete precast buildings sustain relatively large damages especially at the beam-column joints where the damages are mostly caused by bar slippage. Precast concrete buildings have a kind of discontinuity in their beam-column joints, so reinforcement details in this area is too important and have a significant effect on the seismic behavior of these structures. In this study, a relatively simple and efficient nonlinear model is proposed to simulate pre- and post-elastic behavior of the joints in usual practice of precast concrete building. In this model, beam and column components are represented by linear elastic elements, dimensions of the joint panel are defined by rigid elements, and effect of slip is taken into account by a nonlinear rotational spring at the end of the beam. The proposed method is validated by experimental results for both internal and external joints. In addition, the seismic behavior of the precast building damaged during Bojnord earthquake 13 May 2017, is investigated by using the proposed model for the beam-column joints. Damage unexpectedly inducing the precast building in the moderate Bojnord earthquake may confirm that bearing capacity of the precast building was underestimated without consideration of joint behavior effect.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2021

Deficient beam-column joints of reinforced concrete (RC) structures designed to older practices and codes often lead to destructive local or global failures. A strengthening technique for these joints based on the use of the new and innovative Carbon-FRP (C-FRP) ropes is presented and investigated. The C-FRP ropes are diagonally placed in superficial notches on the two sides of the joint. Two full scale external substandard joint subassemblages with the same characteristics, one unstrengthened and one strengthened with diagonally applied C-FRP ropes, are constructed and tested in cyclic loading. Special attention has been given to the elaboration of the acquired test measurements. The extracted conclusions are based on the comparative study of the hysteretic responses of the specimens, the observed maximum load envelopes, the comparisons of the joint body shear deformations as measured using diagonally mounted LVTDs, the calculated nominal principal stresses developed in the joint regions, the assessed joint damage as expressed by the damage index by Park and Ang and finally the calculated values of the equivalent damping ratio. From these comparisons it is concluded that application of diagonally mounted C-FRP ropes on the two sides of the joint body of exterior connections is an efficient easy-to-apply technique for the strengthening of substandard RC joints.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2022

In the structural analysis of steel frames, joints are generally considered as rigid or hinged considering their moment transfer ability. However, the first studies conducted with the beginning of the 20th century showed that the joints do not actually fit these two definitions. In reality, a joint behaves between these two extreme points and is called semi-rigid. Including the actual state of the joint in the structural analysis provides significant economic advantages, so the subject is an intense field of study today. However, it does not find enough application area in practice. For this reason, a large-scale literature published from the first studies on the subject to the present has been examined within the scope of the study. Three important points have been identified in order to examine a joint realistically; modelling the load-displacement relationship, performing the structural analysis and how to design. Joint modelling methods were grouped under 7 main headings as analytical, empirical, mechanical, numerical, informational, hybrid and experimental. In addition to the moment-rotation, other important external load effects like axial force, shear and torsion were considered. Various evaluations were made to expand the practical application area of semi-rigid connections by examining analysis methods and design approaches. Dynamic behaviour was also included in the study, and besides column-beam connections, other important connection types such as beam-beam, column-beam-cross, base connection were also examined in this paper.