Experimental hysteresis loops validation using HYSTERES program for beam-column joints under lateral cyclic loading

This paper provides the comparison and validation between experimental and modeling results of three full-scaled emulative cast-in-place beam-column joints with corbels. The beam-column joints consist of corner, interior and exterior sub-assemblages, which represent connection elements in a two-storey existing precast school building. The sub-assemblages were designed in accordance to BS8110 which do not consider earthquake loading and tested in the laboratory under reversible lateral cyclic loading with specified inter-story drift. Load versus displacement curve (hysteresis loops) were generated for all three specimen tested from the experimental data obtained. Ruaumoko HYSTERES Program was implemented to model the experimental results. By using Pampanin Reinforced Concrete Beam-Column Joint Hysteresis rule with reloading slip factor, load versus displacement curves for corner, interior and exterior beam-column joints were generated. The modeling results were compared with the load versus displacement curves obtained from experimental work. It was found that the hysteresis loops exhibited good agreement between experimental and modeling results. The effective stiffness, displacement ductility and equivalent viscous damping for the sub-assemblages were also discussed and compared.