4.4 Precast Concrete Moment Frames

For buildings with concrete shear walls, the connection between precast frame elements such as chords, ties and collectors in the lateral-force-resisting system can develop the capacity of the connected members.

For conforming buildings, the evaluator may consider this condition as mitigated, and no calculations are necessary. The deficiency is in the strength of the connections. Analyze the connections. Determine where connection failures would be brittle (e.g., pull-out of an embedded item would occur before yield of a mild steel element). Analyze structure for stability assuming that these brittle connections have failed or are not capable of transmitting forces, or check such connections for seismic force amplified by factor C_d/2, but not less than 1.5. For shear capacity, refer to Section 4.3. For flexure, find the path of forces from the element through the connection into the other element.