Influence of Metakaolin-Based Self-Compacting Concrete on the Lateral Behavior of Exterior RC Joints
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Abstract
This study experimentally investigates the structural performance of exterior reinforced concrete beam–column joints incorporating metakaolin-based self-compacting concrete under monotonic lateral loading. Three full-scale exterior joint specimens with identical dimensions and reinforcement details were fabricated and tested under constant axial compression combined with progressively increasing lateral loading until failure. The experimental program focused on evaluating load-carrying capacity, stiffness, ductility, crack propagation, and energy dissipation behavior. The results demonstrated that the use of Metakaolin improved the structural response of the tested joints compared with the control specimen. The peak lateral load increased from 57.4 kN for the conventional specimen to 63.8 kN for the metakaolin specimen. In addition, stiffness improved from 1.45 to 1.69 kN/mm, while cumulative energy dissipation increased from 1755 to 1879 kN·mm. Crack development in the modified specimens progressed more gradually, with satisfactory deformation capacity maintained throughout the loading stages. The findings confirm that metakaolin-based self-compacting concrete can effectively enhance the strength, stiffness, and overall structural efficiency of exterior reinforced concrete joints.
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