Analysis and design of RC unbonded PT shear walls in isolation and integrated into buildings: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract

Shear walls play crucial roles in buildings located in the seismically active regions by efficiently mitigating the impact of seismic forces. However, they have drawbacks regarding their non-recoverable deformation and, thus, lack of reusability once damaged during an earthquake. One potential solution to this problem is the use of post-tensioned (PT) shear walls. These walls rock over the base during seismic events and regain their original position after the event, showing self-centering behaviour. The self-centering behaviour makes these walls reusable and reduces the downtime of the structure, thus making them a sustainable solution over conventional shear walls. Often, they are fitted with either internal or external energy dissipators to enhance the energy dissipation capacity. The present study aims at reviewing past analytical and numerical works, design methods, and international codes on reinforced concrete (RC) PT shear walls. The study also focuses on the models used in the past to investigate the behaviour of these walls. The parameters that affect the performance of RC PT shear walls are presented. Also, the global behaviour and the system interaction of RC PT shear walls integrated into buildings have been discussed. Finally, this paper presents the summary and critical observations, along with future recommendations on RC PT shear walls.