Shaking table tests on precast reinforced concrete and engineered cementitious composite/reinforced concrete composite frames

Engineered cementitious composite is an advanced composite material with strain-hardening and multiple cracking behavior. Substituting conventional concrete with engineered cementitious composite can significantly improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures. This article presents the seismic behavior of a precast engineered cementitious composite/reinforced concrete composite frame and a precast reinforced concrete frame. In the precast engineered cementitious composite/reinforced concrete composite frame, engineered cementitious composite is used to replace concrete in the beam-to-column joints and the bottom columns. The shaking table test results on the two scaled frames are presented. The frame failure characteristics and dynamic properties, including the fundamental frequency, story displacement, inter-story drift, and story acceleration, are comprehensively studied. The test results indicate that the connection method adopted in the tested frames is applicable and reliable. Both of the frames have good seismic performance and can withstand earthquakes at the design seismic intensity. Using engineered cementitious composite in precast frames can greatly reduce damage. The precast engineered cementitious composite/reinforced concrete composite frame has better deformation capacity, better energy dissipation ability, and slower stiffness deterioration than the precast reinforced concrete frame.