ON EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT REINFORCED-CONCRETE FRAME CONNECTIONS

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.