Construction requirements are nowadays more and more demanding, especially when it comes to seismic design. In fact, buildings in earthquake-prone areas must withstand seismic loads in order to guarantee the safety of the occupants.
This implies specific structural detailing as required by the Codes, which may result in overdesigned and densely reinforced structures. On the other hand, the major aim of construction industry is to limit money spent on both material usage and time at building site.
Peikko provides a solution that reduces costs but does not compromise on safety
Peikko has recently launched a new concept on the market; a seismic-proof column connection that complies with current seismic design requirements while maintaining the advantages of precast technology, such as better material and product quality control and improved erection speed. How is this possible?
Peikko’s column connection for seismic applications has been developed to emulate the performance of monolithic joints in terms of stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity, which are the key properties for structural elements subjected to horizontal cyclic loading. The new HPM®-EQ Anchor Bolts significantly contribute to the deformation capacity of the connection, which can now be designed to match the column resistance.
So far, the common way to deal with seismic loads has been to overdesign precast connections so that they have much more capacity than the column they support. This makes no sense economically. Contrary to that, the HPKM®/HPM®-EQ energy dissipating connection can lead to smaller column cross-sections than the overdesigned ones, thereby resulting in concrete volume savings of up to 20%. A further 50% can be saved in costs thanks to reduced excavation depth for foundations and self-supporting connection.
Savings at the construction site are often crucial
By using Peikko’s connection system, the foundation height is limited thanks to anchor bolts with headed studs. This is particularly beneficial compared to the traditional protruding bar system. Lighter foundations mean limited excavation works and reduced concrete and reinforcing steel consumption, which can be crucial. Installation templates and accessories ease the installation process and secure the correct positioning of the anchor bolt group. Furthermore, column erection is also fast and safe, and with no need for temporary bracing.
Peikko’s Column Connection for seismic applications guarantees both the overall efficiency on site and the structural safety. In fact, the performance of the connection has been assessed by a series of experimental tests. A clear design guideline and a standard installation procedure make the system reliable and easy to use. Whatever your case is, Peikko also offers the latest expert know-how for seismic design of precast frame connections to support our customers.
So, do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to save on costs but not on safety!
