Seismic performance of earthquake-resilient prefabricated corrugated web beam-column connection with buckling-restrained plates

This paper presents a developed prefabricated column-tree connection with buckling-restrained plates, which is suitable for conducting post-earthquake repairs. The core member of the buckling-restrained plates is made of low-yield point steel, which can yield repeatedly to concentrate damage and thus protect the main members of the beam and column under seismic loads. The structural behavior of the developed connection was numerically elucidated. The seismic design requirements, methods, and procedures of the developed connection were discussed in detail. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effects of some parameters - e.g., the form of the bolt holes, the width, thickness, and length of the core member of buckling-restrained plates, and the gap between the restrained plate and beam flange - on the connection behavior. The hysteretic or skeleton curves, proportion of energy consumed in each component, and equivalent plastic strain contours were presented and compared. The results indicate that the developed connection has good ductility and excellent energy dissipation capacity. The damage can be concentrated on the core member of the buckling-restrained plates to protect the main members without a decrease in bearing capacity. The parameters of the core member of the buckling-restrained plates are recommended for design.