mechanical anchor supplementary shear reinforcing as a retrofit technique for hollowcore floors

in 2022 New Zealand society for earthquake engineering conference

REFERENCE

Hudson R., Bartolotti A., Giongo I., Galvez F., Shedde D. (2022). Mechanical anchor supplementary shear reinforcing as a retrofit technique for hollowcore floors. In the proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, New Zealand.

Scope and methodology

• The susceptibility of hollowcore and dycore floor systems to seismic actions has generated a need for cost effective seismic retrofits in this area. 

• This paper outlines proof-of-concept research on the use of the PYTHON HC fastener as supplementary shear reinforcement in hollowcore floor units.

• Two full scale, three point bending shear tests and FEA analysis was conducted to assess the impact on hollowcore floor unit shear performance of post-installed PYTHON HC supplementary shear reinforcement.

FINDINGS

• The full scale three point bending test with PYTHON HC supplementary shear reinforcement installed displayed a substantially greater shear capacity than the full scale as-built test.

• The retrofit test displayed substantially greater post-failure shear capacity than the as-built test indicating that the use of the PYTHON HC as supplementary shear reinforcing may be able to provide a reliable post-failure, life safely, load path.

• The displacement increase at failure of the retrofit test was substantially less than the as-built test.

• The FEA model was in good agreement with the full scale physical testing.