Static cyclic tests on lightly reinforced concrete shear walls

This paper addresses the strength and deformation capacity of squat reinforced concrete shear walls that are not designed for seismic actions. The seismic behavior of such walls is investigated in the framework of the study focussing on seismic evaluation of existing buildings. The results of a series of static cyclic tests are presented and compared with data from the literature. The test series includes four lightly reinforced concrete shear walls in 1:3 scale for which the horizontal reinforcement, axial force ratio, and concrete compressive strength are varied. Although brittle shear failure was predicted for the specimens, it is observed that lightly reinforced shear walls can have significant deformation capacity that is not affected by the ratio of horizontal reinforcement. It is also found that the flexural strength governs the observed strength in the tests while ultimate drift was limited by shear failure.