STUDY ON THE MECHANICAL AND DEFORMATION PROPERTIES OF REPLACEABLE ENERGY DISSIPATION CONNECTORS

A replaceable energy dissipation connector (REDC) which is assembled in the beam end of fabricated concrete structures is proposed. The REDC can concentrate the structural damage on the beam-column connection position, prevent the main structural components from yielding and improve the seismic rehabilitation property of the structure. The experimental study on three REDC specimens are conducted through the mechanical test system, in which the hysteretic property, energy dissipation capacity and low-cycle fatigue property are analyzed. The test results reveal that the REDC specimens could perform stable hysteretic curves with a high ductility and low-cycle fatigue capacity. The parametrical analysis of the REDC specimens are conducted based on ABAQUS, in which the thickness of the core member as well as the clearance between the core member and the restrainer are chosen as the key parameters. The analysis results reveal that the buckling waves and non-uniform strain distribution amplitude are decreased with the increase of the thickness, while the clearance may also affect the strain distribution along the axial direction. As a conclusion, the REDC can be used in frames in high-seismic zones, in which high requirements of structural ductility and seismic rehabilitation are needed.