Mechanical connections of the precast concrete columns with detachable metal plates

Abstract

Summary The aim of this study is to develop laminated metal plates for a moment connection of the precast concrete columns. Metal plates were proposed as a time‐ and cost‐saving alternative to conventional monolithic cast‐in‐place joints for connecting precast concrete frames. This study investigated the possibility of using mechanical joints for the connections of both steel‐concrete composite precast frames and reinforced concrete precast frames. A full erection test of precast columns connected with laminated metal plates was performed to demonstrate the efficiency and simplicity of the proposed method. It was shown that the use of the novel mechanical joints with steel plates significantly reduces construction time compared with the conventional monolithic assembly. The total precast column assembly time was approximately 10–20 min, eliminating pour forms and curing times required for the conventional concrete frames. This study also presents an analytical modeling of the proposed connection for multibay precast frames to explore the strains and stress exerted on the joints.