An Analytical Study of RC exterior flat beam – Column Connection Under Lateral Loads


Abstract in English

RC moment-resisting frames (RCMRFs) have commonly been used for low-to-moderate rise buildings in seismic prone regions. RCMRFs can perform well when they are subjected to strong earthquake ground motions if they are properly designed and detailed to dissipate the seismic input energy through deformations in inelastic range. The connections between beams and columns thus become critical components to the performance of these structures. In conventional RCMRF connections, the width of the beam does not exceed the width of the column. Adopting a flat beam system for the design scheme provides many advantages, such as the reducing the amount of formwork required, the simplicity for repetition, and the decrease of the required story height. RCMRFs with flat beams have been used extensively, despite the lack of sufficient information on how this system behaves under earthquake loading which leads the codes to restrict the use of flat beamcolumn connections in earthquake prone regions.

References used

Committee for the development of seismic codes. Norma de Construcción Sismor resistente NCSE-94. Madrid: Spanish Ministry of Construction; 1994
Darwin D, Nmai CK. “Energy dissipation in RC beams under cyclic load” . J Struct Eng 1986;112(8):1829.46
DIANA, 2007, User Manual-DIANA Version 9.3, DIANA Analysis, P.O. Box 113, 2600 AC Delft, The Netherlands

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