Seismic Response of Precast Prestressed Concrete Frames With Partially Debonded Tendons

The concept of connecting precast concrete frame elements with beam prestressing tendons debonded through the joint, and for some distance on either side of the coluumn, is discussed. It is shown that improved joint shear performance and restoring force characteristics can be expected from this arrangement. Results of dynamic inelastic analyses indicate that for structures with long natural periods, peak displacement response should be similar to that of conventionally prestressed concrete systems, and only slightly larger than systems with elasto-plastic hysteretic characteristics. A numerical design example is provided in an appendix to show how the force-deformation characteristics of precast concrete frame systems utilizing this concept may be calculated.