Experimental study on hysteric behavior of composite shear walls with steel sheets

Abstract

Owing to demanding structural requirements, composite shear walls have become necessary in reinforced concrete high-rise structures subjected to earthquake forces. Composite shear walls also limit the inter-story drift angles during severe earthquakes in terms of their load-carrying system performance. Within the scope of this study, two types of shear walls were constructed on a 1:3 scale. One type is a conventional reinforced concrete shear wall having boundary zones consisting of only conventional reinforcement. The other walls tested were composite shear walls having boundary zones consisting of cold-formed steel sheets (CFSSs). The dimensions of the CFSSs used in the shear wall boundary zones were 2xL19x57x7, 4xL23x69x5, and 2xL17x49x7 (mm). The composite shear walls were tested under cyclic lateral loadings, and their behaviors were investigated. Lateral force vs. top displacement curves with envelopes were evaluated from graphs based on the measurements, and crack propagations in the element were investigated step by step. Dissipated energy, ductility capacity, and rigidity properties based on the experimental results were compared.