Cyclic Performance and Strain Characteristics of a Squat Curved RC Shear Wall

ABSTRACT Curved reinforced concrete shear walls (CRCSWs) not only are capable of offering both the stiffness and strength in any arbitrary horizontal direction but also fulfill some of the aesthetic and architectural requirements. Despite these advantages, a paucity of decent and in‐depth investigations does exist in the literature that have examined the cyclic response of CRCSWs. Aiming to complement the existing knowledge and to highlight some particularities inherent in the cyclic performance of squat CRCSWs, an experimental program is established, and a new loading apparatus is designed and fabricated, capable of concurrently following the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane motions. A large number of instruments are employed to capture the full‐field measurements. Test results including the global load‐deformation, onset, and progression of structural damages are delineated. The findings divulge that the tested squat CRCSW exhibited stable performance with no evident premature strength degradation, and the induced warping torsion due to intrinsic eccentricity of the centroid and shear center is largely responsible for the failure mode of the squat CRCSW. Detailed reconnaissance studies regarding the performance levels and strain characteristics of the reinforcing bars and concrete surface are presented, and the collected strain gauge data confirm the mechanisms of the induced damages. The inevitable effects of the longitudinal bars are highlighted in comparison with transverse bars for the response evaluation of the tested squat CRCSW. Although the CRCSWs are utilized in practical applications, experimental evidence is scanty, and it is believed that the testing program presented herein will contribute to the seismic characterization of the CRCSWs.