Full-scale experimental study on seismic performance of repaired precast shear walls

Abstract

To improve the framework of seismic resilience assessment and design of precast concrete (PC) structures, and to contribute to the development of loss consequence functions for PC shear walls (PCSWs), a repair method for seismically damaged PCSWs using grouted sleeve connections was investigated and the seismic performance of repaired PCSWs (RPCSWs) was verified in this study. Specifically, full-scale experimental investigations were conducted involving a reinforced concrete shear wall (RCSW) as a counterpart and two RPCSWs, which were repaired based on two damaged PCSWs (one without grouting defects and the other with a 60% defect ratio) previously tested, aiming to identify the effect of grouting defects on the damage mode of PCSWs and the corresponding repair effect. Two specimens were repaired with reference to the concrete replacement method for the RCSW. The seismic performances of the RCSW, two RPCSWs, and PCSW without grouting defects were compared. Test results indicated that the damage evolution and failure modes of the RPCSWs were similar with those of the RCSW and PCSW without grouting defects. The relative differences in the loads and displacements of the critical points of the four specimens were generally less than 5.9%. Although the seismic performance of the PCSW with grouting defects was significantly different from those of the RCSW and PCSW without grouting defects, it was restored, thus verifying the reliability and versatility of the repair method. The research outcomes can provide important reference for the repair of seismically damaged PCSWs connected using grouted sleeves as well as lay a foundation for advancement of loss consequence functions for such shear walls.