Influence of a new form of bolted connection on the mechanical behaviors of a PC shear wall

Abstract

A variety of forms of connection in precast reinforced concrete (PC) have been proposed, but the impact of the connection forms on the shear wall remains to be studied. In this paper, through quasi-static experiments and numerical simulations, the influences of a new form of bolted connection on the mechanical behaviors of the PC shear wall are investigated. The results show that the strain of the connector is less than the yield strain and the failure does not occur in the connector; the mechanical behaviors of this connection form of the PC shear wall are equivalent to those of the cast-in-place reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall. Meanwhile, reasonable suggestions are put forward for the design of the connector from the pretightening force, bolt number, and axial compression ratio. This implies that this form of bolted connection has little influence on the mechanical behaviors of the PC shear wall and design suggestions can be used in practical projects.