Seismic behaviour of steel coupling beams linking reinforced concrete shear walls

Due to lack of information, current design methods to calculate embedment length for steel coupling beams linking concrete shear walls are tacit about cases in which the beams have connection details to the walls that include stud bolts and horizontal ties. In this study, analyses were carried out to develop a model for calculating the embedment lengths of embedded steel sections. Five models for calculating embedment lengths in hybrid coupled walls are developed as variations of the Prestressed Concrete Institute guidelines for steel brackets attached to reinforced concrete columns. In addition, experimental studies on the steel coupling beam were carried out. The main test variables were the ratios of the coupling beam strength to the connection strength. Based on the test results, it is more advantageous to design the coupling beams as shear-yielding members since a shear-critical coupling beam exhibits a more desirable mode of energy dissipation than a flexure-critical coupling beam.