Seismic Behavior of Nonseismically Detailed Interior Beam-Wide Column Joints—Part II: Theoretical Comparisons and Analytical Studies

The experimental results of four full-scale reinforced concrete interior beam-wide column joints with nonseismic detailing and limited seismic detailing have been presented in the previous paper. Due to the unique features of the test specimens and the inherent complexity of beam-column joints, however, such a study is not sufficient. Therefore, in this paper, an analytical investigation would be useful to provide a better understanding of the seismic behavior of such beam-wide column joints. The developed finite element models were described and verified using the results of the experimental results presented in the previous paper. The global behavior and the principal stresses of the interior beam-wide column joints were discussed and examined in detail. The calculated results indicated that global behavior of the joints can be simulated to correlate well with the experimental observations. In addition, the effects of several critical design parameters on the joint's behavior are explored by means of the developed finite element models; implications of the results on code specifications are discussed.