The seismic behaviour of connections in precast construction systems has been largely recognized as a crucial matter to be addressed both by the industry sector and by the related research community. In spite of this situation, the complexity of the problem and the variety of inherent issues to be harmonizedly dealt with in proposing design procedures for connections and precast structures as a whole, have made it difficult so far to conceive self-sufficient solutions and approaches of general validity. Scope of SAFECAST is to give effective answers to this need of self-sufficient, harmonized solution of the problems of correct seismic design of joints and connections in precast structures.

The innovative aspect of the project is the unified performance based perspective in which the problem of the characterization of the seismic behaviour of connections will be dealt with. Such complex problem, in fact, needs to be dealt with in a unified performance based framework, since when dimensioning and designing the system for an optimum performance under earthquake loading, all the other basic performance requirements, i.e. durability, deformability limits, energy dissipation…, are also to be taken into account and complied with.


The research is focused on the categories of mainly dry connections, consisting of mechanical devices, which is the most common type in modern precast buildings. The advantages of dry connections, in terms of quick erection, maintenance, re-use, make them even more appealing in an environmentally friendly, life-cycle performance oriented perspective.
Each category of connection between the different structural elements creating the structural body brings about peculiar issues to be investigated, in relation to their role and function in the structure itself: in view of this, the experimental and numerical activities devoted to each category of connections will be concluded “package-by-package”, each of them adding up knowledge to more ample themes.

Category 1: floor-to-floor or roof-to-roof elements.
Category 2: floor(or roof)-to-beam elements.
Category 3: beam-to-column elements.
Category 4: column-to-column or column-to-foundation elements.
Category 5: cladding panels-to-structural elements.