Sj. Pantazopoulou et Jf. Bonacci, ON EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT REINFORCED-CONCRETE FRAME CONNECTIONS, Canadian journal of civil engineering, 21(2), 1994, pp. 307-328
The behavior of earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete frame connect
ions has been researched extensively over the past 30 years, but confl
icting interpretations of the underlying physical problem and differen
ces of opinion in defining acceptable performance criteria still perva
de almost every aspect of connection behavior and design. This study e
xplores the mechanics of reinforced concrete beam-column joints under
lateral loads, with the aim to assess the parametric dependence of the
behavior of these elements for the benefit of design. In the course o
f the study, published experimental information from around the world
and results from a number of novel analytical studies are considered c
ollectively in an attempt to broaden the scope and depth of the parame
tric description of joint mechanics. Apart from improved understanding
of the physical problem, the most important outcome of this research
is to formulate simple tools for design of earthquake-resisting beam-c
olumn connections using a consistent mechanics approach.