Experimental assessment of the ultimate performance and lateral drift behaviour of precast concrete building cores

Abstract

Precast concrete building cores are a widely used lateral load resisting system in low and mid-rise multi-storey buildings. However, despite their widespread use in countries like Australia or New Zealand, a very little research or experimental testing has been undertaken to assess their lateral drift behaviour. This article will present the findings and observations of a recent experimental testing programme into reinforced concrete precast building cores, which included three large-scale ‘box-shaped’ precast building core specimens. Adjacent panels in each specimen were connected together using welded stitch plate connections and then connected to foundation blocks on the top and bottom us..