Cyclic load behavior of low-slenderness reinforced concrete walls: Failure modes, strength and deformation analysis, and design implications

This study addresses the problem of seismic shear in reinforced concrete walls with low aspect ratio, and attempts to assess the validity of current design provisions, both in Europe (Eurocode 8) and in the U.S. (ACI 318-95). A comprehensive experimental program involving 11 wall specimens has been presented in a companion paper, and results from this program are used herein to study the effect of wall geometry and reinforcement detailing on failure mode, with particular attention to sliding shear failure. Flexural and shear strengths of the specimens are calculated using various available procedures and values are compared with test data. An analysis of the total displacement into flexural, diagonal shear, and sliding shear components is carried out, and results are used to evaluate the prevailing inelastic deformation mode in each wall. Stiffness and energy dissipation capacity under cyclic loading are also quantified and the effect of shear on them is discussed. Finally, the implications of the results of the present experimental and analytical studies on the seismic design of low-to-medium slenderness walls are discussed.