Study on the Bracing Effect Added by the Corrugated Sheets for a Single-Storey Precast Reinforced Concrete Structure

Abstract

The façades of single-storey industrial buildings are made mostly of corrugated sheet panels or sandwich panels. Although the steel from this perimeter closures makes the structure stiffer, this is rarely included in the structural design analysis. In this article, a study is presented on the use of the corrugated sheets acting as a bracing system for a single-storey reinforced concrete building that is degraded after a simulated seismic action. A real structure was subjected to an alternating loading cycle with and without lateral stiffening. The experimental results show an increase of the strength of the structure by up to 22% added by the corrugated sheet panels fastened to the structure.