FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF SELF-CENTERING PRE-STRESSED SHEAR WALLS WITH HORIZONTAL BOTTOM SLITS

Horizontal slits are placed at the wall ends between the wall-foundation joint of pre-stressed shear walls, and the concrete in the middle of the wall-foundation joint remains connected. Furthermore, unbonded pre-stressed tendons are set vertically inside the wall to provide self-centering ability. Numerical models were developed using ABAQUS, the finite element analysis software package, to simulate test results of pre-stressed self-centering shear walls under cyclic loading. The modelling methods and procedures of the pushover and cyclic loading simulation were introduced. Comparisons were made between the simulation and experimental results, including skeleton curves, hysteresis curves, energy dissipation, stress in the pre-stressed steel strands, the uplift of wall toes, strain of the concrete and stress in the reinforcements. The comparison results indicate the numerical simulation results agree well with experimental results, meaning the simulation method can be used in engineering practice for precise numerical analysis.