Shaking Table Tests of Low-Rise Concrete Walls for Housing

Abstract eng:
Previous low-rise concrete shear walls tested under cyclic loading and designed to fail in shear, reinforced with 50% of the minimum code prescribed wall reinforcement, exhibited comparable displacement ductility to that of walls reinforced with 100% of the minimum steel ratio, thus enabling them to be used in concrete housing. Nevertheless, walls with 50% of the minimum code prescribed wall reinforcement and reinforced with welded wire meshes exhibited limited displacement ductility. This paper presents results of four 1:1.25 scaled concrete walls tested under shaking table excitation aiming at verifying results from quasi-static cyclic loading. Variables studied were the type of concrete (normalweight and cellular), the wall steel ratio (0.125% and 0.25%) and the type of web reinforcement (deformed bars and welded wire meshes). Wall properties were typical of low-rise housing in Mexico. Axial compressive stress, kept constant during the test, was representative of low-rise housing. In the experimental program it was observed that strength and stiffness degradation is more pronounced and displacement capacity is smaller in walls tested under dynamic than under quasi-static cyclic loading. Therefore, loading rate effect plays an important role in the displacement and energy dissipation capacity of low-rise concrete walls.

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