Experimental Study of Reinforced Concrete Interior Wide Beam-Column Connections Subjected to Lateral Loading

An experimental investigation to evaluate the response of interior wide beam-column connections to earthquake-type lateral loading is described. Three interior wide beam-column-slab subassemblages were tested under quasistatic cyclic loading. Design variables that control the response of reinforced concrete (RC) joints to lateral loading were evaluated, with special attention given to the beam width to column width ratio. It was found that interior wide beam connections, when properly designed, possess adequate strength and deformation capacity. The connections reached their expected capacities and maintained them throughout a severe deformation history. The hysteretic response was primarily controlled by the bond behavior of the longitudinal reinforcement and, in particular, the reinforcement passing outside the column core. The response of the test specimens is also examined in terms of joint shear behavior, beam plastic hinge spreading, and slab participation.