Effect of high performance concrete pouring in panel zone on seismic performance of assembled beam‐column joints

Precast concrete structures have rapidly increased in popularity due to their fast construction, environmental friendliness, and high degree of mechanization. This paper presents a precast concrete frame beam‐column joint integrating high‐performance concrete, high‐strength bars, and L‐shaped steel energy dissipation devices. To validate the seismic behavior of the proposed joints, reverse cyclic loading tests were performed on three full‐scale beam‐column joints: two precast joints and one cast‐in‐place joint. Seismic indicators of the precast joints, including hysteresis performance, skeleton curve, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity, were compared with those of the cast‐in‐place joint. The test results revealed that setting L‐shaped steel at the beam–column junction can not only effectively improve the bearing capacity of the joint but also enhance its energy dissipation capacity. Furthermore, setting L‐shaped steel can also effectively enhance the strength of the beam–column junction to achieve the purpose of moving the plastic hinge away from the beam end. Pouring RPC in the panel zone can effectively improve the bearing capacity of the joint further and ensure that the panel zone will not be damaged under reverse cyclic loading. Based on the experimental results, a rational finite element model of the joint has been successfully established. Subsequently, parametric analysis was conducted utilizing this model to provide a robust theoretical foundation for the joint's design optimization.