Experimental and numerical study of reinforced concrete interior wide beam-column joints subjected to lateral load

Past researches showed that the energy dissipation capacity of the wide beam-column joints was not sufficient. So, two full-scale reinforced concrete interior wide beam-column joints were tested under quasi-static cyclic loads and the performance of the specimens was studied experimentally and numerically. Effect of using wide beams in two directions was investigated and it became clear that the longitudinal reinforcement of transverse wide beam had significant effect on the seismic behavior of the joints. Flexural hinging mechanism in the wide beams occurred instead of torsion brittle mode of failure. Effect of eccentric beams on joints is one of the areas needing research in ACI 352R-02. In the numerical study, it was seen that damage of the joints was concentrated to one side of the joints that the beams shifted to. Besides, concrete grade did not have much effect on behavior of the joint.