Eccentric Punching Strength of RC Slab-column Connections: a Parametric Numerical Analysis based on the Lisbon Setup

In the last years, several experimental campaigns have been performed to investigate the punching strength of slab-column connections subjected to combined vertical and horizontal loading. The knowledge about this topic is far from being considered comprehensive due to the difficulties to represent the actual boundary condition of the slab. The innovative setup developed at the NOVA School of Science &Technology in Lisbon, the so-called Lisbon setup, aims at reproducing the behaviour of slab-column connections in continuous flat slabs. In the present paper the Lisbon setup has been assessed through a nonlinear finite element model by using ABAQUS. Firstly, the numerical model has been calibrated on experimental tests performed on the Lisbon setup. Finally, the eccentric punching strength of slab-column connections have been investigated by means a parametric analysis changing the concrete compressive strength (fc), longitudinal reinforcement ratio (ρ), column size (c), effective depth (d) and gravity shear ratio (GSR).