Analytical Study of Interior Beam-Column Joint Under Cyclic Loading

Reinforced concrete beam-column joints are critical components in (RC) structures as they provide the necessary connections between the horizontal beams and vertical columns. Beam-column joints failed because of a significant earthquake in (RC) framed building, leading to building collapse. This is particularly true for interior beam-column joints, which are often subjected to maximum shear in (RC) framed buildings. To address this issue and promote sustainable construction practices, it is necessary to develop materials that can resist shear failure without relying on scarce natural resources. This study used recycled coarse aggregate properties to model interior beam-column joint models in Abaqus software. The objective is to evaluate key parameters such as load displacement, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipations as a pilot study. Six beam-column joints were modelled using various percentages of recycled aggregates. While few experimental works have been carried out on recycled aggregate concrete beam-column junctions, the study used recycled aggregate concrete properties with different percentages, validated the models, and examined stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity. The test results showed that during cyclic loading, specimen displacements increased, but stiffness and energy dissipation capacities were maintained. It is found that the displacement of FEM models and validation models is less than 20%. Based on the study, it was decided that recycled aggregate concrete interior beam-column joints up to 40% are optimal for structural use. Beyond that percentage, interior beam-column displacements increased with minimum load.