Title: Experimental Study on the Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Precast Floor System

Author(s): 0. Lopez-Batiz and H. Silva-Olivera

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 209

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 571-592

Keywords: moment resisting frames; precast floor system; torsional stiffness

DOI: 10.14359/12521

Date: 9/26/2002

Abstract:
Recently in Mexico and other Latin-American Countries, reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with precast floor systems have been widely used, although such structural types are not yet included in the design codes. In order to understand the behavior of this type of building, the response of a RC building model to seismic loads was investigated by testing two full scale structural models. The building models were subjected to lateral aud torsional displacements. The models simulated the first story of a four-story building, and consisted of three dimensional one-story moment resisting single-span frames. The model was designed to assess the seismic performance of ductile frame structures following the Mexico City Building Code. The variable in the tests was the type of floor structural system: (a) the first model (CR model) was cast in-situ beam-slabs structure; and, (b) the second model (PCR model) had the same structural system, but with precast elements composing the floor structure. Both models were subjected to the same loading history and had similar instrumentation. This paper presents the results and conclusions obtained from the comparative study of the behavior of both models. One of the main conclbsions is that the presence of precast elements at the floor system was found to be an important parameter for the torsional stiffness of the whole structure.