Studies on Nonlinear Behavior of Shear Walls of Medium Aspect Ratio under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

Abstract

Structures designed according to performance-based seismic design (PBSD) are required to satisfy the target performance. PBSD requires extensive research for capacity evaluation and development of reliable nonlinear models. Shear walls are the ideal choice to resist lateral loads in multistoried RC buildings. They provide large strength and stiffness to buildings in the direction of their orientation (in-plan), which significantly reduces lateral sway of the building. Experimental studies on nonlinear behavior of shear walls of medium aspect ratios are limited. Nonlinear performance of medium aspect ratio shear wall specimens are studied on three identical shear wall specimens through application of monotonic and cyclic loading. In order to study the effect of axial load on the flexural behavior and ductility of shear wall, a parametric study is conducted using a layer-based approach, which is used to generate the analytical pushover curve for the shear wall and validated with the experimentally evaluated pushover curve of the tested shear wall. A comparison is made between monotonic and cyclic load behavior. Stiffness and strength degradation and pinching parameters are evaluated from cyclic tests. Plastic rotation limits and ductility capacities under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions are compared with recommended values.