Seismic performance of reinforcement lap-spliced connections between double-steel-plate composite wall and reinforcement concrete foundation in civil constructions

To investigate the seismic performance of reinforcement lap-spliced connections between double-steel-plate composite (SC) wall and reinforcement concrete (RC) foundation in Civil Construction, this study conducted a pseudo-static test on three 1/2 scale SC wall-RC foundation connection specimens. The effects of structural form, such as lapped reinforcements, end-column configuration, and embedment depth of steel plates on the bearing capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity of the connections were analyzed. The test results indicated that the specimens ultimately failed in a compression-flexure mode of shear wall, with a failure story drift ratio of 1/53–1/27 and a ductility coefficient of 5.58–13.63, demonstrating favorable ductility and energy dissipation performance. The connection zone did not fail prior to the wall limb, confirming reliable seismic safety. The presence of end columns of the wall significantly enhanced the ductility of the connections. Furthermore, the numerical model of reinforcement lap-spliced connection and embedded connection specimens were developed using the ABAQUS finite element software to perform parametric analysis on its compression-flexural capacity. By examining the stress distribution at critical sections under peak load, a method for calculating the peak bearing capacity of lap-spliced connection was proposed. Finally, it is recommended to adopt lap-spliced connection with end columns in practical engineering and the section design follows the principle of equal bearing capacity between the bottom connection and the wall pier. Moreover, the reinforcement lap-spliced length should not be less than the seismic anchorage length of the tensile reinforcements to ensure effective force transfer in the connection zone.