Experimental study on seismic performance of precast concrete shear walls with grouted sleeve connection defects and reinforcement strategies

Abstract Precast concrete shear walls with grouted sleeve connections are widely adopted in prefabricated structural systems for their construction efficiency and structural integrity. However, assembly defects, such as inadequate anchorage length and rebar fracture, often impair their seismic performance, particularly under seismic lateral force in mildly eccentric tension scenarios. Despite their prevalence, the seismic behavior and failure mechanisms of these systems remain insufficiently understood. This study examines the effects of grouted sleeve defects and the effectiveness of two reinforcement strategies through quasi‐static testing of six full‐scale precast shear wall specimens under vertical tensile loading. Key performance parameters, including hysteretic response, stiffness, energy dissipation, ductility, and lateral deformation patterns, were systematically assessed. Results reveal that defects significantly reduce load‐bearing capacity and ductility, with unreinforced defective specimens exhibiting abrupt stiffness degradation at advanced loading stages. Conversely, the proposed reinforcement strategies restored capacity and ductility to levels comparable to ideal specimens and cast‐in‐place counterparts while enhancing energy dissipation. Unlike defective specimens, which exhibited rigid body rotation due to construction joint slip, reinforced specimens maintained a bending‐shear deformation mode. Failure modes varied distinctly: ideal specimens showed concrete crushing at corners, defective specimens experienced brittle low‐cycle fatigue fracture of sleeve‐connected rebars at construction joints, and reinforced specimens displayed steel plate tearing or localized concrete crushing around bolts. These findings elucidate the seismic resilience of precast shear walls with grouted sleeve connections and validate the reinforcement strategies for the grouted sleeve connection defects.