Seismic behavior of precast concrete beam-column joints with bending moment-shear separation controllable plastic hinge

A controllable plastic hinge with bending moment-shear separation was developed according to the design concept of an earthquake-resilient structure using replaceable multi-slit energy dissipation devices. Furthermore, a novel precast concrete beam-column joint was proposed to achieve repair of the post-earthquake damage in prefabricated structures. Pseudo-static cyclic loading tests were conducted on three precast concrete exterior beam-column joints and one conventional monolithic joint specimen to investigate the seismic performance and validate the effectiveness of the proposed joint. The results revealed that when the maximum flexural capacity of the precast joint was close to that of the monolithic joint, the precast joints exhibited better seismic performance in terms of ductility, deformation, and energy dissipation capacity than that of the monolithic joint. Furthermore, the damage and failure of the precast joints were mainly concentrated in the multi-slit energy dissipation device. In contrast, the precast concrete beam and column components remained elastic, allowing for the control of damage locations at the precast joint and facilitating efficient post-earthquake repair. Finally, a theoretical relationship was established between the flexural capacity and deformation of the connection zone in the precast joint, serving as a theoretical reference for the design of multi-slit energy dissipation devices and shear connection keys.