Behavior of Welded Plate Connections in Precast Concrete Panels Under Simulated Seismic Loads

Tests were performed on precast wall panels with typical loose-plate connectors located in the vertical joint between panels. The tests were performed to investigate the performance of the connectors under simulated seismic loads. In-plane lateral cyclic loads were applied to the wall panels, which applied tension-shear and compression-shear forces to the loose-plate connectors. The paper describes the experimental program and results for the welded plate connections in ten precast concrete wall panel assemblies. Design assumptions and simplified design models are also examined. The research shows that the connection possesses little ductile capacity and, therefore, is not suitable for use in high seismic regions (Zones 3 and 4). However, based on the observed failure modes, minor modifications to the connection are suggested that will increase the ductility of the connection. This paper addresses the behavior of a specific loose-plate welded connector under applied cyclic loading.This type of connection is widely used in the United States. Due to the limited number of tests performed, no specific design parameters were considered in this study. The objectives of this investigation were to: (a) Quantify the performance of the connection in terms of force-deflection and ductility. (b) Check the validity of design values that are currently used for loose-plate welded connections in hollow-core precast concrete wall panel construction.