ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Earthquake Engineering
Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2025.1612096
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing Seismic Risk Assessment and Structural Design via Ground Motion SimulationsView all articles
Loss estimation of precast prestressed concrete frame structure with cost-efficient mortise-tenon connection under earthquake
Provisionally accepted- Department of Architecture and Building Science, School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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The Precast Prestressed Concrete (PCaPC) frame is characterized by minimal inelastic damage and self-centering behavior under seismic loading. It offers a viable alternative to conventional reinforced concrete construction, particularly in high seismic hazard regions. By employing unbonded prestressing tendons to connect precast beams and columns, PCaPC systems enhance structural resilience and reduce residual deformations. However, their widespread adoption has been hindered by high material and labor costs, as well as complex assembly processes. To address these limitations, this study proposes a cost-effective Mortise-Tenon (MT) connection. This connection eliminates the need for grouting and other labor-intensive procedures, simplifying construction and reducing total costs by 13%. A Matlab-based nonlinear time history analysis was conducted to evaluate the structural response and expected repair costs under different seismic hazard levels. A case study on a four-story office building in Sendai, Japan, showed that PCaPC frames with MT connections have lower expected seismic losses and better economic performance than traditional cast-in-situ PC frames. These findings highlight the potential of MT-connected PCaPC systems for enhancing cost efficiency and seismic resilience, supporting their widespread adoption in prefabricated construction in earthquake-prone regions.
Keywords: PCaPC frame, Mortise-tenon connection, Incremental cost, Seismic response analysis, loss estimation
Received: 15 Apr 2025; Accepted: 09 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ZHAO and TAKAHASHI. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: HANXI ZHAO, Department of Architecture and Building Science, School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan
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