Performance of flat slab‐column joint under cyclic loading

Abstract The Indian subcontinent faces significant natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tsunamis. Its proximity to the North Indian Ocean also makes it highly susceptible to cyclones, with approximately 7% of the global occurrence in this region annually. Earthquakes are particularly devastating in remote areas of the Indian subcontinent, where poor construction practices, inadequate detailing of structural joints, poor material quality, and the absence of ductile design principles exacerbate the damage and result in high casualty rates. The failure of critical connections, such as slab‐column joints, is a common cause of progressive collapse in reinforced concrete flat plate buildings. The current study focuses on the performance of external flat slab‐column connections under reverse cyclic loads, a critical scenario that simulates earthquake‐induced stresses. By employing a combination of numerical modeling and experimental testing, the investigation evaluates the ductility, energy dissipation, and failure mechanisms of these connections. Four different types of specimens were evaluated: standard specimen (SC‐NS), specimen with single‐loop stirrups (SC‐SLS) (linear pattern), specimen with closed‐hoop stirrups (SC‐CHS) (linear pattern), and specimen with stud shear reinforcement in critical pattern (SC‐SSRC). To test the 1/4th scaled model, axial loading was applied at the top of the column stub and cyclic loading was applied at the slab end. All three slab shear reinforcement models (SC‐SLS, SC‐CHS, and SC‐SSRC) showed effectiveness in preventing punching shear failure under axial and cyclic loads. The shear reinforcements (SC‐SLS, SC‐CHS, and SC‐SSRC) significantly increased the ductility when compared to the standard specimen (SC‐NS). Shear reinforcements and the specimen's energy dissipation are compared.