Title: Cyclic Testing of Moderate-Aspect-Ratio Reinforced Concrete Structural Walls

Author(s): Thien A. Tran and John W. Wallace

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume: 112

Issue: 6

Appears on pages(s): 653-665

Keywords: cyclic; flexural deformation; moderate aspect ratio; nonlinear; reinforced concrete; shear deformation; structural wall

DOI: 10.14359/51687907

Date: 11/1/2015

Abstract:
An experimental study was conducted to provide insight into the nonlinear cyclic response of moderate-aspect-ratio cantilever structural walls. Constant axial load and reversed cyclic lateral loading were applied to five large-scale structural walls. Primary test variables were wall aspect ratio, axial stress, and shear stress. Walls were designed to yield in flexure when the wall shear demand was 80 to 90% of the ACI 318 nominal shear strength. Test results indicate that significant lateral strength loss occurred at approximately 3.0% wall top lateral drift for all tests; however, various failure modes were observed, such as diagonal tension, web crushing, and buckling of boundary vertical reinforcement. Contribution of nonlinear shear deformations to wall top lateral displacement varied between roughly 20% and 50% for walls with aspect ratios of 2.0 and 1.5, respectively. The tests also provide data for development and validation of analytical models, including models that account for nonlinear shear-flexure interaction.