Behaviors and Modeling of New Self-Centering RC Wall with Improved Disc Spring Devices

Abstract

Cyclic loading tests were conducted on self-centering reinforced concrete (RC) walls with disc spring devices (SC-RCW-DSD), and results confirmed that these walls had sufficient energy dissipation and satisfactory self-centering capabilities to reduce damage; however, the bearing capacity of such walls was relatively low compared with conventional RC walls. This study further presented a new self-centering RC wall with improved disc spring devices (SC-RCW-IDSD) to achieve a high bearing capacity. The improved disc spring device was designed to exhibit symmetrical flag-shaped hysteretic behavior to provide stable restoring force. A numerical model of the SC-RCW-IDSD was developed and validated by the experimental results. The effects of activation force, initial stiffness, post-activation stiffness, and the ratio of friction force to preloading of the improved disc spring device on the seismic resilient performance of the SC-RCW-IDSD were then analyzed. The SC-RCW-IDSD had stable energy dissipation and excellent self-centering capabilities, and the bearing capacity was greatly improved relative to that of the SC-RCW-DSD. As the activation force of the improved disc spring device increased, the seismic performance of the SC-RCW-IDSD was greatly improved compared with that of the conventional RC wall. The improved disc spring devices dissipated more than 90% of the seismic energy and reduced damage sustained by the RC wall in the SC-RCW-IDSD.