The precast concrete industry has attempted for many years to develop connectors that will perform well during an earthquake. This article describes the development of an energy absorbing ductile connector that can be used to construct a seismic moment resisting frame of precast concrete components that will outperform comparable cast-in-place and structural steel systems. The system was developed by the author working in conjunction with Dywidag-Systems International. The design philosophy, test program, and adaptability of the connection system to real structures are described in detail. his paper is a companion to the largely non-technical article that was recently published in the September-October 1994 PC/ JOURNAL.
