Experimental and Analytical Performance Evaluation of Engineering Wood Encased Concrete-Steel Beam-Column Joints

The seismic performance of engineering wood encased concrete-steel (EWECS) beam-column joints is investigated and reported within this paper. Experimental and analytical investigation was carried out on a total of two interior and two exterior beam-column joints. These four beam-column joints typically consisted of an EWECS column and a wood encased steel beam. The primary parameter was the failure modes of the specimens, namely the beam flexural failure and the joint shear failure. The response of the specimens was presented in terms of their hysterisis loop behavior, crack pattern, joint shear distortion, and deformation decomposition ratios. In addition, the results obtained from a three-dimensional nonlinear finite-element analysis simulating their seismic behaviors were also compared with the test data. The finite-element analysis incorporated both bond stress-slip relationship and crack interface interaction at the unbonded connection region. The analytical prediction of joint shear strength was satisfactory for both interior and exterior joints. This validated numerical model was subsequently used to examine the contributions of the steel frame mechanism formed by the column flange, column web, and stiffener.