Seismic performance of steel–concrete composite structural walls with internal bracings

Abstract

This paper presents experimental and analytical investigations of steel–concrete composite structural walls with internal bracings. In the experimental study, four full-scale wall specimens were tested under cyclic load reversals. The performance of the wall specimens in terms of load–deformation response and cracking patterns is described. However, due to the inherent complexity of shear walls and unique features of the embedded diagonal bracing, the experimental investigation was not sufficient to fully explain the influence of several parameters. Therefore, an analytical investigation based on the FE models using DIANA is presented. Validation of the FE models against the experimental results has shown a good agreement. Critical parameters influencing the shear wall's behavior such as shear span ratio, axial load, the size and thickness of shaped steel are varied, and their effects on the walls' seismic behavior are discussed.