| A nonlinear pushover analytical study of a precast concrete cladding system was completed. The analytical software used was SAP2000 (version 11.0.0). The specimen modeled is the three-dimensional corner of the first floor of a nine-story building. Thirty-one linear and nonlinear link elements were used to simulate the cladding connections. The results showed that inelastic behavior of these connections controls the behavior of the overall cladding system. At drift ratios of 0.0104, closure of the sliding connections at the top of the column cover panels occurs and resisting forces climb significantly with small additional lateral displacement. Forces quickly rise to levels indicating failure of the connections between the column covers and the foundation. At drift ratios of 0.0111, failure of the foundation connections is expected to occur, likely leading to instability of the panels. |
