HSSER-ECC: A novel composite for enhancing the seismic properties of prefabricated column-foundation connections

Enhancing the toughness of column-foundation connections may substantially improve the seismic performance, integrity, and reliability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In this article, a novel composites: high-strength stainless steel stand wire meshes-Engineering Cementitiouis Composites (HSSWM-ECC) were employed for reinforcing the prefabricated RC column-foundation connections. Experimental studies were then conducted to investigate the seismic performance and deterioration characteristic of connections reinforced by novel composites. The findings reveal that the joint locally-enhanced by HSSWM-ECC significantly postpones the failure of the concrete and improves the ductility of the members, owing to the high ductility and crack-controlled capacity of HSSWM-ECC. There are no matrices have been crushed before the load decreased to 70 % peak load, owing to the higher deformation capacity of HSSWM-ECC. The initial stiffness and cumulative energy dissipation capacities of connections increase almost 45.2 % and 57.1 %, respectively, after using the partially section reinforced. Moreover, the initial stiffness and cumulative energy dissipation capacities of connections increase approximately 27.3 % and 32.4 %, respectively, after using the full section reinforced. The partly ECC-filled specimen provides equivalent seismic performance to the completely ECC-filled specimen under small deformations, while using 34.82 % less ECC, supplying a high-cost-performance and workable solution to prefabricated structural systems.