EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON I-SHAPED PRECAST REINFORCED CONCRETE SHEAR WALLS USING BOLTED CONNECTIONS

The longitudinal and transverse prefabricated reinforced concrete (RC) wall panels with embedded limbic steel frames are jointed together using connecting steel frames and high strength bolts, forming I-shaped shear walls. To investigate the mechanical behavior and seismic performance of this total-prefabricated shear wall, monotonic loading tests on three specimens and a low-cyclic reversed loading test on one specimen were carried out. The load bearing capacity, lateral stiffness, ductility, energy-dissipating capacity, strain distribution in the connecting components and the relative slippages within the connecting components were subsequently investigated. Then the ultimate anti-shearing mechanism of the test walls was discussed in detail. The research results show that the total-prefabricated shear wall possesses high load bearing capacity, favorable ductility and energy-dissipating capacity. The displacement ductility factor is about 3 to 6. The nominal diameter of the high strength bolt and the thickness of the steel plates in the connecting steel frame have effects on the lateral stiffness and the ultimate bearing capacity of the prefabricated shear wall. The embedded limbic steel frame not only transfers the stress in the distributing steel bars, but also confines the concrete, resulting in superior ductility of the shear wall.