Abstract:To investigate the structural and thermal performance of the connection between point-supporting facade panels and the main structure, quasi-static tests and heat transfer calculation were conducted. The results indicate that test models achieve the failure mode characterized by “strong column-weak beam” and “strong joint-weak component” behavior, with ultimate drift ratios of approximately 1/30. The connection joints remain undamaged. The connection details of precast components could ensure the overall seismic performance of the precast frame structure. Whether the connection bolts of the precast facade panel are tightened or not had little impact on the elastic lateral stiffness of the main frame. Similarly, the differences between bolted connections and wet connections with U-shaped rebars are minimal in terms of their influence on the seismic performance of the main frame before the elastic-plastic drift ratio limit. Under large lateral drift, the U-shaped steel plate damper can reduce the rigid-body rotation of the precast facade panel by 16% to 30%, while having no significant impact on the failure mode, load-bearing capacity, and deformation capacity of the main frame. Therefore, U-shaped steel plate dampers can be employed to control the seismic displacement response of large-scale external wall panels, achieving a reasonable balance between joint width, sealant application convenience, and displacement capacity. The concrete between the inner and outer wythes is the root cause of thermal bridge in the connection area, resulting in a 62.1% reduction in the thermal performance of the facade panels. The heat insulated pads could markedly reduce the thermal bridge effect in the connection by 86.6%, thereby achieving thermal bridge mitigation near the connection.