Failure mechanism analysis and partial-interaction numerical simulation of Grouted Sleeve Connections (GSC) in tensile behavior

Abstract

Grouted Sleeve Connections (GSC) play an important role in assembly of structural members for precast concrete structures. With many experimental work and parametric study have been done on the tension load-slip behavior of GSC, the mechanical behavior for the tension load-slip responses of GSC should also be studied and explained. The failure modes for GSC in tensile tests with different material properties are firstly analyzed here by investigations on 326 GSC specimens. To study the mechanism of the failure modes, a partial-interaction numerical model is introduced to simulate the load-slip responses of GSC with provided bond-slip characteristics. The different boundary conditions for long and short embedment lengths are described respectively. More than 400 data points in load-slip responses are collected from tensile tests of GSC. The verification between theoretical results with test results shows good agreement. Hence, with the partial-interaction numerical model, the corresponding GSC load-slip responses could be obtained by given material and dimensional properties. Furthermore, parametric study shows that load-slip responses of GSC in tensile behavior change with embedment lengths of reinforcing bars. The CT scan results also show that embedment lengths for reinforcement are suggested to be longer than the designed size by considering the original defects of the sleeves and the eccentricity of reinforcement in construction.

Keywords

• GSC
• Failure modes
• Numerical simulation
• Global load-slip
• Embedment length
• Bond strength