Title:
Seismic Performance of Precast Hollow-Core Floors: Part 2—Assessment of Existing Buildings
Author(s):
Aishwarya Y. Puranam, Samuel R. Corney, Kenneth J. Elwood, Richard S. Henry, and Des Bull
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
118
Issue:
5
Appears on pages(s):
65-77
Keywords:
floor diaphragm; hollow-core floors; precast concrete; seismic assessment
DOI:
10.14359/51732822
Date:
9/1/2021
Abstract:
Past research has indicated that precast concrete hollow-core floors in buildings are susceptible to non-ductile failure modes when subjected to earthquake deformations. While this research has led to the development of more robust connection details suitable for hollow-core floors in new buildings, the existing building stock with hollow-core floors in New Zealand is still at risk and needs to be assessed. Damage to buildings containing hollow-core floors in Wellington, New Zealand, during the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake prompted the need to better understand the behavior of hollow-core floors and enable those with limited drift capacity to be retrofitted or replaced. Based on tests described in a companion paper, models are developed for three potential failure modes: loss of seating (LoS), positive moment failure (PMF), and negative moment failure (NMF). Implementation of these models in the New Zealand Seismic Assessment Guidelines is discussed. Applying the Guidelines to a database of 112 existing buildings with hollow-core floor units in Wellington indicates that the most likely mode of failure is loss of seating.