Academic Journal
View in EDS

Seismic fragility analysis of fully prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop bolt connections based on various engineering demand parameters.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Seismic fragility analysis of fully prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop bolt connections based on various engineering demand parameters.
Authors: Gao Z; School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Yellow River Conservancy Technical University, Kaifeng, China., Zhang J; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Emergency Technologies for Urban Lifeline Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, China.; College of Urban Development and Modern Transportation, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China., Cao L; School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Yellow River Conservancy Technical University, Kaifeng, China.
Source: PloS one [PLoS One] 2026 May 27; Vol. 21 (5), pp. e0350096. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 27 (Print Publication: 2026).
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science
MeSH Terms: Steel*/chemistry , Materials Testing* , Construction Materials* , Engineering*, Finite Element Analysis ; Models, Theoretical
Abstract: Steel plates and bolted connections have become common construction details in prefabricated structural systems. However, prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop-bolted connections exhibit connection gaps, interface slip, and discontinuous force-transfer paths, making them prone to hysteretic degradation and cumulative damage under seismic loading. Conventional seismic fragility assessments typically rely on the maximum inter-story drift ratio, which focuses only on deformation demand and fails to capture key deterioration mechanisms such as low-cycle damage accumulation, stiffness degradation, and reduced energy dissipation capacity. Consequently, the seismic performance of prefabricated structures may be inadequately represented. To address this limitation, this study adopts a two-parameter damage model as the engineering demand parameter for incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and fragility assessment, and compares it with the traditional drift-based index. An energy-dissipation-based story damage weighting method is further introduced to better characterize damage distribution and performance degradation along the structural height. Finite element models of prefabricated columns and beam-column joints with steel plate hoop-bolted connections were developed in SAP2000 using multilinear plastic link elements and validated against quasi-static test results. A comparative fragility analysis was then performed for six-story full prefabricated and cast-in-place frame structures. The results show that the inter-story drift ratio underestimates structural capacity in the elastic stage but overestimates collapse resistance compared with the two-parameter damage model.
(Copyright: © 2026 Gao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests.
Substance Nomenclature: 12597-69-2 (Steel)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260527 Date Completed: 20260717 Latest Revision: 20260717
Update Code: 20260717
PubMed Central ID: PMC13215489
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350096
PMID: 42201865
Database: MEDLINE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:cmedm&genre=article&issn=19326203&ISBN=&volume=21&issue=5&date=20260527&spage=e0350096&pages=e0350096&title=PloS one&atitle=Seismic%20fragility%20analysis%20of%20fully%20prefabricated%20frame%20structures%20with%20steel%20plate%20hoop%20bolt%20connections%20based%20on%20various%20engineering%20demand%20parameters.&aulast=Gao%20Z&id=DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0350096
    Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271)
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text Finder
    MouseOverText: Full Text Finder
Header DbId: cmedm
DbLabel: MEDLINE
An: 42201865
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Seismic fragility analysis of fully prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop bolt connections based on various engineering demand parameters.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Gao+Z%22">Gao Z</searchLink>; School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Yellow River Conservancy Technical University, Kaifeng, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Zhang+J%22">Zhang J</searchLink>; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Emergency Technologies for Urban Lifeline Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, China.; College of Urban Development and Modern Transportation, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Cao+L%22">Cao L</searchLink>; School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Yellow River Conservancy Technical University, Kaifeng, China.
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22101285081%22">PloS one</searchLink> [PLoS One] 2026 May 27; Vol. 21 (5), pp. e0350096. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 May 27 (<i>Print Publication: </i>2026).
– Name: TypePub
  Label: Publication Type
  Group: TypPub
  Data: Journal Article
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Journal Info
  Group: Src
  Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22Public+Library+of+Science%22">Public Library of Science </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>United States <i>NLM ID: </i>101285081 <i>Publication Model: </i>eCollection <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1932-6203 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%2219326203%22">19326203 </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>PLoS One <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE
– Name: PublisherInfo
  Label: Imprint Name(s)
  Group: PubInfo
  Data: <i>Original Publication</i>: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science
– Name: SubjectMESH
  Label: MeSH Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Steel%22">Steel*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Steel+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Materials+Testing%22">Materials Testing*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Construction+Materials%22">Construction Materials*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Engineering%22">Engineering*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Finite+Element+Analysis%22">Finite Element Analysis</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Models%2C+Theoretical%22">Models, Theoretical</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Steel plates and bolted connections have become common construction details in prefabricated structural systems. However, prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop-bolted connections exhibit connection gaps, interface slip, and discontinuous force-transfer paths, making them prone to hysteretic degradation and cumulative damage under seismic loading. Conventional seismic fragility assessments typically rely on the maximum inter-story drift ratio, which focuses only on deformation demand and fails to capture key deterioration mechanisms such as low-cycle damage accumulation, stiffness degradation, and reduced energy dissipation capacity. Consequently, the seismic performance of prefabricated structures may be inadequately represented. To address this limitation, this study adopts a two-parameter damage model as the engineering demand parameter for incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and fragility assessment, and compares it with the traditional drift-based index. An energy-dissipation-based story damage weighting method is further introduced to better characterize damage distribution and performance degradation along the structural height. Finite element models of prefabricated columns and beam-column joints with steel plate hoop-bolted connections were developed in SAP2000 using multilinear plastic link elements and validated against quasi-static test results. A comparative fragility analysis was then performed for six-story full prefabricated and cast-in-place frame structures. The results show that the inter-story drift ratio underestimates structural capacity in the elastic stage but overestimates collapse resistance compared with the two-parameter damage model.<br /> (Copyright: © 2026 Gao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Competing Interests
  Group: Ab
  Data: NO authors have competing interests.
– Name: NumberCAS
  Label: Substance Nomenclature
  Group: ID
  Data: 12597-69-2 (Steel)
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date(s)
  Group: Date
  Data: <i>Date Created: </i>20260527 <i>Date Completed: </i>20260717 <i>Latest Revision: </i>20260717
– Name: DateUpdate
  Label: Update Code
  Group: Date
  Data: 20260717
– Name: PubmedCentralID
  Label: PubMed Central ID
  Group: ID
  Data: PMC13215489
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350096
– Name: AN
  Label: PMID
  Group: ID
  Data: 42201865
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=cmedm&AN=42201865
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350096
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        StartPage: e0350096
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Finite Element Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models, Theoretical
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Steel chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Materials Testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Construction Materials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Engineering
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Seismic fragility analysis of fully prefabricated frame structures with steel plate hoop bolt connections based on various engineering demand parameters.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gao Z
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhang J
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cao L
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 27
              M: 05
              Text: 2026 May 27
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1932-6203
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 21
            – Type: issue
              Value: 5
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: PloS one
              Type: main
ResultId 1