Seismic Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Slab-Column Connections Using Shear Bolts

摘要

This paper describes an experimental investigation on the behavior of specimens of reinforced concrete slab-column connections subjected to increasing cyclic lateral drift and constant gravity loading. The five tested specimens were retrofitted using shear bolts. Shear bolts, as transverse shear reinforcement, were installed externally in three specimens in holes drilled through the slabs' thickness in the vicinity of the columns. The test results show that shear bolts increase lateral load-resisting capacity, lateral drift capacity at peak and ultimate loads, and ductility of the slab-column connections. Shear bolts also change the failure mode of the slab-column connections from brittle to ductile and increase the energy dissipation capacity.