Behavior of concrete walls with partial and full shape memory alloy reinforcement subjected to earthquakes: Parametric study

In this study, a numerical model was first developed based on an experimental test of a tall reinforced concrete wall with steel reinforcement subjected to an earthquake, and the numerical model responses were validated against the experimental results. Subsequently, three alternative configurations were investigated: in the first, shape memory alloy (SMA) rebars replaced only the vertical reinforcement in the first story (SMA-1 model); in the second, SMA bars replaced the vertical reinforcement in the first and sixth stories (SMA-6 model); and in the third, all vertical bars were substituted with SMA bars (SMA model). Nonlinear time history analyses were performed to compare the seismic responses of the different models. A parametric study was also conducted by varying key model parameters such as axial force and earthquake intensity. Results indicate that in all three SMA configurations, the base moment demand decreased by approximately 15% compared to the steel-reinforced model, while overall responses among the SMA models were similar. These findings provide insight into the potential use of SMA bars to enhance the seismic performance of tall reinforced concrete walls and offer guidance for partial or full SMA application in design practice.