Seismic performance of RC frame structures with infill CLT shear walls

Abstract

This paper focuses on the newly proposed RC-CLT hybrid wall systems used in residential buildings. Cyclic loading tests were conducted using 2-storey specimens, to confirm the seismic performance and behavior of the hybrid system and also to investigate the behavior of the RC beams in mid-level and the transmission of shear stress by the CLT wall from upper to lower level. The experimental results showed that CLT could potentially be more superior than RC wall infill in terms of ductility, due to CLT exhibiting higher inter-story drift during shear failure. Furthermore, this study proposes numerical models to simulate the experimental results of the hybrid systems. The RC structural members were modeled using linear elements with MS model inserted at the ends to consider for the N-M interactions. As for the CLT wall, it was modeled using several braced models. The numerical results generally show good agreements with the experimental results. As a result, the numerical model proposed in this study can contribute to better predict the structural behavior of CLT shear wall infilled RC frame with concealed steel plate and drift pin connections.