Connections for Precast Concrete Load-bearing Shear Wall Panels

Precast load-bearing shear wall panels are used extensively for high-rise construction because of the ease and speed of assembly, and the high quality of the precast panels. The connections between panels are extremely important since they affect both the speed of erection '~md the overall integrity of the structure. This paper presents the results of a four-year research program conducted to investigate the behaviour and the capacity of nine connection configurations used for precast load-bearing shear wall panels subjected to monotonic shear loading. The different configurations include two types of dry-packed multiple shear keys. dry-packed plain surface. dry-packed plain surface with continuity reinforcement, dry-packed with two types of mechanical shear connectors in addition to the continuity bars, dry-packed with post-tensioning. and connections which support hollow-core slab with and without posttensioning. Two different levels of load normal to the connection were used to determine the effects of dead load. Rational mathematical models were developed to predict the shear capacity of the connections at the maximum and ultimate limit states. These models were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. ,. The research findings of this investigation were implemented in the design and construction of three 32-stories apartment buildings in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The connections considered in this study provided significant savings in construction time and cost. 1 Engineering Manager. Con-Force Structures, Winnipeg, Manitoba 2 Professor. Civil Engineering Department, University of Manitoba 3 Doctoral Candidate. Civil Engineering Department, University of Manitoba