Hysteresis Behavior of Hybrid Rocking Walls: An Analytical Method

Abstract

This study proposed an analytical method to predict the hysteresis behavior of hybrid rocking walls (HRWs) in the two limit states of decompression and geometric nonlinearity. The flag-shaped curve of a HRW under a given cyclic load was described using the parameters of initial stiffness, post-yield stiffness, and the energy dissipated by the wall energy dissipaters. In this method, the hysteresis loops of the wall were determined assuming no tendon yielding and concrete crushing at the wall toes. The results of the proposed analytical method were validated via experiments on two HRWs under cyclic loads and previously validated finite element models. Comparing the results of the analytical method with those of the tests and numerical models showed that the proposed method can provide acceptable predictions for the yield point, ultimate point, initial and post-yield stiffnesses, energy dissipation level in each loading cycle, as well as the hysteresis behavior of hybrid walls. This showed the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed analytical method. Moreover, despite the simplifying assumptions, the good agreement between the analytical approach and experimental hysteresis loops indicated that the role of plastic deformation in energy dissipation at the bottom of HRWs is negligible.