Seismic Performance Analysis of a New Type of Fabricated Concrete Beam–Column Joint

Nodes are the key factors to ensure the performance of prefabricated building structures. A new type of prefabricated concrete beam–column node is proposed to address the problems of steel bar congestion, installation and construction difficulties, and difficulty in ensuring node quality in existing concrete beam–column nodes. The node structure and design method are provided, and scaled model tests are conducted to analyze the stress distribution and bearing capacity of the core area of the node under low-cycle reciprocating loads. Comparative analysis was conducted on the experimental process and phenomena between the node and ordinary concrete beam–column joints, and seismic performance indicators such as hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, stiffness, and stiffness degradation were studied. The research results indicate that the structure of the new prefabricated concrete beam–column node is reasonable, and it is easy to manufacture and install. The hysteresis performance of the new prefabricated beam–column node is better than that of the ordinary concrete beam–column node, and the initial stiffness of the new joint is 25% higher than that of the conventional cast-in-place joint, and its construction efficiency is improved by approximately 30% in labor hours and 20% in construction duration due to the elimination of wet trades. The overall bearing capacity is improved, and the energy consumption performance is excellent, which is in line with the seismic design concept. The research results will be beneficial for the design and engineering application of new prefabricated concrete beam–column joints and will further promote the promotion and application of prefabricated concrete buildings.