Urgent Need for a Performance-Based Approach for Seismic Assessment and Design of Fastenings Used in Structural Applications

Abstract

Fasteners or anchors are widely used to form the connections between non-structural or structural components and the primary reinforced concrete structure. The design of fastenings in concrete is traditionally performed using force-based method, where the design load for the fastening is calculated corresponding to different possible failure modes and the lowest value defines the allowable load that can be applied for the anchorages [1-4]. Under seismic actions, the fasteners in concrete are subjected to relatively strong demands of cycling tension and shear loads as well as opening and closing of cracks intercepting the fasteners (Figure 1).