Seismic Performance of Single-Story Precast Buildings: Effect of Cladding Panels

In reinforced concrete industrial precast structures, one of the most common forms of seismic damage is the collapse of the cladding panels because of the failure of the panel-to-structure connections. This damage is caused by the interaction between the panels and the structures, which is usually neglected in the design approach. The present study aims at investigating this interaction. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed on several structural models in order to take into account both the panel-to-structure interaction and the roof diaphragm. According to the analysis results, if the current European single-story precast building stock is considered, panel stiffness significantly influences the overall structural behavior under seismic actions, and failure of the connections occurs at very low intensity values. The progressive collapse of the panels was also simulated in order to evaluate the redistribution of seismic demand in the columns during the earthquake. In the final part, fragility curves are evaluated in order to generalize the dynamic analysis results.