Cyclic behavior of precast beam‐to‐column connections with locally reactive powder concrete: An experimental and numerical investigation

Abstract The connection performance of prefabricated post‐cast concrete frame beam–column joints has always been the focus of researchers. This paper presents the experimental findings of locally reactive powder concrete beam–column joints under low cyclic loading. Three full‐size beam‐to‐column joints were constructed in different ways to study the effects of reactive powder concrete and steel bars for prestressed concrete. The experimental results indicated that the joint has seismic performance equivalent to that of the cast‐in‐place joint. Based on the cohesive model and nonlinear spring, the finite element model was established to simulate the seismic behavior of the beam–column joints, and its reliability was verified by comparing it with the test results. Based on the validated finite element foundation, the parameters research was performed on the joints. The influence of various parameters on the seismic performance of locally reactive powder concrete beam–column joints was investigated by skeleton curve and reinforcement stress. The research confirms that the axial compression ratio, bond performance, and model parameters have a significant effect on the joints. Finally, it was proposed that equipping U‐shaped steel bars in the core area could further enhance the seismic performance of the joint.