Influence of friction-bearing devices on seismic behavior of PC shear walls with end columns

Abstract

A novel Precast Concrete (PC) shear wall system was developed to achieve a dry and convenient assembly method, with the system consisting of bolted connections between precast wall panels. T-connectors were utilized for horizontal connection of the panels, friction-bearing devices and end columns were utilized for vertical connection. A series of pseudo-static reversed cyclic loading tests were conducted on four shear walls, including one conventional cast-in-situ wall and three novel PC shear walls. The test results indicated that the performance of the PC wall containing friction-bearing devices was generally superior in terms of strength, drift capacity, energy dissipation and ductility. It is concluded that the vertical connections delayed stiffness degradation and led to increased lateral drift capacity. Furthermore, study of the vertical connections provided further insight into the elongation of ductile reinforced concrete members.