Beam-column joint behavior in Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures is a key issue for earthquake engineering, because, under seismic loads, these elements are subjected to high stresses, which could lead to unexpected collapses, due to the development of brittle failure mechanisms. In Italy, many existing RC buildings constructed before the mid-1970's present structural deficiencies, as they were designed in the absence of the prescriptions of modern seismic codes. In particular, the use of plain reinforcing bars, inappropriate anchorage solutions and the lack of joint horizontal hoops are rather widespread.This paper presents an in-depth overview on seismic behavior of interior beam-column joints reinforced with plain bars, under cyclic loads, based on experimental results available in the literature. The inadequacies of certain reinforcement arrangements and details of tested joints are highlighted. A critical discussion of the damages and failure mechanisms developed in the joints, in relation to the reinforcement details and to the effects of the main influencing parameters, is provided. These parameters are the mechanical properties of materials, the geometry of the joint and the converging elements, and the column axial load. A formula to predict shear strength of joints with plain bars is proposed.Due to the lack of similar papers in the literature, the present analysis constitutes the basis for a comprehensive understanding of behavior of interior joints with plain bars under seismic actions. Moreover, due to the absence in the main current Codes of design formulas for the shear strength assessment of existing beam-column joints with plain bars, a design formula is also proposed. This formula is a valuable tool to design the retrofit intervention of existing buildings reinforced with plain bars, constituting a not negligible part of the built heritage.
