Recent major earthquakes in the Italian territory have reaffirmed the seismic vulnerability of precast industrial buildings typical of the past Italian building practice, highlighting structural deficiencies observed during previous events and mostly related to the transfer of the horizontal forces between structural and non-structural elements. Intrinsic lack of shear and ductility capacity has been observed in simply supported beam-to-joist and beam-to-column connections, mainly constituted by vertical steel dowels or solely relying on shear friction, with or without neoprene pads. These connections were designed neglecting seismic loads and their premature failure was observed during the recent seismic events causing the loss of support of beam elements, due to elements relative movements, and the collapse of part of the buildings, mainly the roof. The seismic displacement demand of the considered industrial buildings is larger compared to traditional reinforced concrete frame structures due to their higher flexibility, according both to higher inter-storey height and a cantilevered static scheme. Furthermore, this high flexibility could also result into displacement incompatibility between structural and non-structural elements, such as precast cladding panels, causing their connection failure. On the basis of detailed field observations on a relevant number of buildings, collected just after the earthquakes, seven representative industrial facilities are examined to outline the main vulnerabilities of one-storey precast concrete structures not designed and detailed for seismic loads.
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