Ductility of Reinforced Concrete Flat Slab‐Column Connections: Fid-Bau Portal

Ductility of Reinforced Concrete Flat Slab‐Column Connections

Polak, Maria Anna

Abstract: The article presents experimental and analytical research on providing adequate ductility and rotational capacity to reinforced concrete slab‐column connections. Post peak‐load ductility of connections in reinforced concrete framed structures is essential for ensuring structural integrity and preventing local failure that may lead to progressive collapse of such systems. The importance of ductility for resistance against abnormal loading and the role of transverse reinforcement in providing ductility is discussed, and a new shear‐strengthening technique, shear bolts, is presented. Shear bolts are a special type of reinforcement developed specially for retrofitting of existing, previously built, flat slabs. The results of an experimental work are presented which show how transverse reinforcement increases punching shear capacity and post‐failure ductility of slab‐column connections. The described work also applies a specially developed finite element formulation based on layered shell elements, to the analysis of continuous reinforced concrete slabs. The formulation is applicable for global structural analysis of slabs failing in flexure or punching modes. The finite element and experimental results are compared in the article.