Seismic Response of Post Tensioned Hybrid Shear Walls with External Energy Dissipating Reinforcement (EEDR)

Abstract

ABSTRACT A major limitation with conventional post-tensioned (PT) shear wall in seismic areas is its low energy dissipation, which is tackled by placing additional mild steel reinforcement at the intersection of the wall and the foundation, called internal energy dissipating reinforcement (EDR). While the behavior of hybrid walls with internal EDR is satisfactory, the replacement of them post-yielding (i.e., after an earthquake) poses a major concern. Therefore, in this study, a new simple arrangement is proposed with external-energy-dissipating-reinforcement (EEDR) to facilitate its easy placement and replacement. This proposed system is expected to enable convenient rehabilitation of the wall after an earthquake and will keep it ready for next seismic shock. A detailed numerical study has been conducted to examine the feasibility of the proposed configuration. The proposed model depicts rocking behaviour with sufficient self-centering and energy dissipation. Having external EDR in the hybrid PT shear wall resulted in an increase in energy dissipation but keeping the strength and stiffness of the wall nearly unaffected. This study has highlighted the effectiveness of proposed external EDR system without significantly compromising the performance of a hybrid PT shear wall during an earthquake.