Parametric study on lateral behavior of totally precast RC shear wall with horizontal bolted connection

Dry-type connections have gained considerable popularity worldwide due to their superior construction efficiency and quality. However, a significant drawback of most conventional dry-type connections is the direct embedding of connectors in the concrete wall panel, consequently causing stress concentration in the connections and leading to extensive spalling of concrete. This study introduces an innovative high-strength bolted connection as a solution to address the problem of stress concentration in concrete. To evaluate the seismic performance of the high-strength bolted connection, monotonic lateral loading tests were conducted. In this study, a finite element (FE) model was developed using ABAQUS software, and validated through experimental results. Furthermore, a parametric study was conducted using the FE model to assess the influence of several key design parameters on the lateral response and anti-slip capacity of the bolted connection in the precast shear wall. These parameters include bolt specifications, anti-slip coefficient, flange thickness of the H-connector, widths of the initial gap, axial compression ratio, and connection arrangement. The results indicate that the anti-slip capacity is not significantly influenced by the flange thickness of H-connectors and initial gap width, but it increases with an increase in bolt specification, slip coefficient, and axial compression ratio. Additionally, the ultimate bearing capacity of the precast shear wall remains unaffected by both the anti-slip coefficient and the initial gap width. Moreover, the high-stress area of the H-connector is concentrated at the ends. Finally, the design parameters are recommended according to the numerical analysis results.