Shaking table tests of a reinforced concrete waffle–flat plate structure designed following modern codes: seismic performance and damage evaluation

Shaking table tests were conducted on a scaled reinforced concrete waffle–flat plate structure. It represented a conventional construction design under current building codes in the Mediterranean area. The test structure was subjected to a sequence of four seismic simulations of increasing magnitude. Each simulation was associated with a seismic hazard level characterized by the mean return period P_R. The test structure performed well for the simulations associated with P_R = 95, 475 and 975 years but collapsed under the maximum considered earthquake of P_R = 2475 years. Damage concentrated at column bases, where the maximum chord rotation reached 93% of the ultimate capacity, and at the transverse beams of the exterior plate‐to‐column connection that failed in torsion. It is shown that most (from 85% to 90%) of the energy input by the earthquake that contributes to damage is dissipated by the plate. The capacity curve of the tested structure estimated from the experimental base shear vs. top displacement relationship allowed us to compute the overstrength (1.4). It is close to the maximum established by European code EN 1998‐1 (1.5). Based on a detailed study of the test results, potential updates to current codes and design recommendations are suggested. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.