Experimental study on the in-plane response of cast-in-situ reinforced concrete sandwich walls under combined vertical and horizontal load

Abstract

Cast-in-situ Reinforced Concrete Sandwich Panel (cRCSP) technology represents a viable and increasingly popular solution for the construction sector to face recent crucial challenges, such as great housing demand or environmental sustainability. Recently, cRCSP-based buildings are being widely used also in earthquake-prone countries, like Italy. Nevertheless, so far, the available studies in the literature studies focused on the seismic response of this structural typology are not-exhaustive and, besides, relevant structural technical codes do not provide specific design rules. The present study deals with an experimental campaign carried out on four full-scale cRCSP walls subjected to increasing in-plane cyclic lateral loading. Two wall configurations have been considered different for shape and openings: the first has no openings and a squat profile; the second has a central door-type opening and a square profile. Two levels of uniformly distributed vertical load have been applied and kept constant during the test. Materials, specimens, and test set-up are described. The main experimental outcomes in terms of recorded force-displacement curves and observed damage states are discussed in detail. In particular, different failure modes and seismic performances have been observed.