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Seismic performance of inorganic polymer concrete joints, Page 1 of 2

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Because of the large quantities of carbon dioxide released during cement production, the concrete industry is a major emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide. Inorganic polymer cement has the potential to replace Portland cement as a binder in concrete, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to cement production by approximately 85%. This paper assesses the performance of three interior beam–column joints constructed using inorganic polymer concrete. The joints tested were designed using existing standards, and their performance was compared with the performance of a companion joint constructed from Portland cement concrete. Inorganic polymer concrete mixed at a precast concrete factory using conventional equipment was found to have predictable properties and to behave similarly to Portland cement concrete. Cyclic testing of beam–column joint subassemblies showed that the hysteretic, bond and energy dissipation characteristics of inorganic polymer concrete joints were identical to respective characteristics of Portland cement concrete joints. It was concluded from these results that inorganic polymer beam–column joints can be safely designed to resist earthquake-induced forces using existing New Zealand design standards.