Experimental analysis of bolted connections for precast concrete walls under cyclic tensile loading

Abstract Dry‐bolted connections in precast wall structures simplify the assembly process and offer significant advantages in terms of construction speed and cost. In fact, the reduction of the required workmanship, compared to wet connections, makes this solution highly competitive. Moreover, dry connections also bring benefits in terms of sustainability, by turning possible disassembly and reuse in different locations. The deconstruction process at the end of building service life is also facilitated, promoting recycling and, in this way, supporting the circular economy. This paper describes an experimental study conducted to evaluate the performance of bolted connections in a new composite precast wall system, focusing on three different solutions specifically developed for this purpose. Connections play a fundamental role in force transfer and energy dissipation during seismic events. To assess the structural performance of the wall solution and the reliability of these connections, cyclic loading tests under tensile force were conducted. This evaluation is particularly important for cases where seismic activity must be considered. The results, including damage and failure mode, energy dissipation capacity, strength, stiffness degradation, and ductility, are presented and discussed. It was concluded that the connections show good energy dissipation capacity, without significant damage under low loading conditions. However, they exhibited low ductility and significant concentration of compression was observed near the opening (for bolt installation) due to steel plate bending. Based on the findings of this investigation, it was possible to identify some improvements to enhance the structural behavior of the connections, such as optimizing the steel plate's dimensions (length and thickness) and minimizing the geometric clearances in the steel plates after assemblage.