Stiffness reduction effect of vertically divided reinforced concrete structural walls

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vertical division of reinforced concrete shear walls on wall stiffness and strength. Six full-scale specimens were fabricated and reversed cyclic load tests were performed. The study found that both strength and stiffness decreased due to vertical division, with the rate of stiffness reduction being higher than the rate of strength reduction. The flexural stiffness decreased by 30–50% due to vertical division. It is expected that safety can be ensured by reducing the load acting on the wall due to the redistribution of the load caused by the vertical division. Structural analysis was performed for an actual building, and it was confirmed that the applied moment decreased as the wall flexural stiffness decreased. In future studies, it will be necessary to evaluate additional variables such as wall aspect ratio, reinforcement ratio, and axial force, and to conduct analytical studies on various walls using finite element analysis.