A New Steel-Joint Precast Concrete Frame Structure: The Design, Key Construction Techniques, and Building Energy Efficiency

Assembled methods play a critical role in the construction of precast concrete structures. However, conventional dry-connections-like sleeve grouting joints in precast concrete structures lagged at a low construction and management efficiency with poor quality control. In this study, a novel steel joint for precast reinforced concrete beam-column components is proposed to improve constructability. New joints transform the assembled method from reinforced concrete members into a steel structure by setting a pre-embedded steel connector at both ends of reinforced concrete beams and columns, showing outstanding economic, durability, and fire resistance capabilities. The construction process, construction efficiency, economy, and energy consumption were discussed based on the material, structure, and construction hybrid characteristics. Numerical simulation and structural health monitoring methods are used to monitor and evaluate the deformation and stress state of the proposed system in the whole construction process, so as to optimize the construction scheme and ensure safe and orderly construction. The results reveal that the FEA-simulated values of key building components during construction are in good agreement with the actual monitoring values, which verifies the feasibility of the FEM models and provides a guarantee for construction safety; the construction period of the proposed assemble system is reduced by approximately 56% and 40%, compared with the conventional reinforced concrete frame structure and cast-in-place joints in the precast concrete frame structure, respectively. Meanwhile, the energy consumption of buildings decreases by 20%. This research provides a theoretical basis for the design, calculation, and application of assembled precast structural systems.

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