This study concerns the strength and behaviour of low-rise shear walls made from high-strength concrete under reversed cyclic loading. The response of such walls is often strongly governed by the shear effects leading to the shear induced or brittle failure. The brittle nature of high-strength concrete poses further difficulties in obtaining ductile response from shear walls. An experimental program consisting of six high-strength concrete shear walls was carried out. Specimens were tested under inplane axial load and reversed cyclic displacements with the test parameters investigated being longitudinal reinforcement ratio, transverse reinforcement ratio and axial load. Lateral loads, lateral displacements and the strains of reinforcement in edge elements and web wall were measured. The test results showed the presence of axial load has a significant effect on the strength and ductility of the shear walls. The axially loaded wall specimens exhibited a brittle behaviour regardless of reinforcement ratio whereas the specimen with no axial load had a lower strength but higher ductility. It was also found that an increase in the longitudinal reinforcement ratio gave an increase in the failure load while an increase in the transverse reinforcement ratio had no significant effect on the strength but influenced the failure mode. A non-linear finite element program based on the crack membrane model and using smeared-fixed crack approach was developed with a new aggregate interlock model incorporated into the finite element procedure. The finite element model was corroborated by experimental results of shear panels and walls. The finite element analysis of shear wall specimens indicated that while strengths can be predicted reasonably, the stiffness of edge elements has a significant effect on the deformational results for two-dimensional analyses. Therefore, to capture the deformation of walls accurately, three-dimensional finite element analyses are required. The shear wall design provisions given in the current Australian Standard and the Building Code of American Concrete Institute were compared with the experimental results. The comparison showed that the calculated strengths based on the codes are considerably conservative, specially when there exists the axial load.

This study concerns the strength and behaviour of low-rise shear walls made from high-strength concrete under reversed cyclic loading. The response of such walls is often strongly governed by the shear effects leading to the shear induced or brittle failure. The brittle nature of high-strength concrete poses further difficulties in obtaining ductile response from shear walls. An experimental program consisting of six high-strength concrete shear walls was carried out. Specimens were tested under inplane axial load and reversed cyclic displacements with the test parameters investigated being longitudinal reinforcement ratio, transverse reinforcement ratio and axial load. Lateral loads, lateral displacements and the strains of reinforcement in edge elements and web wall were measured. The test results showed the presence of axial load has a significant effect on the strength and ductility of the shear walls. The axially loaded wall specimens exhibited a brittle behaviour regardless of reinforcement ratio whereas the specimen with no axial load had a lower strength but higher ductility. It was also found that an increase in the longitudinal reinforcement ratio gave an increase in the failure load while an increase in the transverse reinforcement ratio had no significant effect on the strength but influenced the failure mode. A non-linear finite element program based on the crack membrane model and using smeared-fixed crack approach was developed with a new aggregate interlock model incorporated into the finite element procedure. The finite element model was corroborated by experimental results of shear panels and walls. The finite element analysis of shear wall specimens indicated that while strengths can be predicted reasonably, the stiffness of edge elements has a significant effect on the deformational results for two-dimensional analyses. Therefore, to capture the deformation of walls accurately, three-dimensional finite element analyses are required. The shear wall design provisions given in the current Australian Standard and the Building Code of American Concrete Institute were compared with the experimental results. The comparison showed that the calculated strengths based on the codes are considerably conservative, specially when there exists the axial load.

This study concerns the strength and behaviour of low-rise shear walls made from high-strength concrete under reversed cyclic loading. The response of such walls is often strongly governed by the shear effects leading to the shear induced or brittle failure. The brittle nature of high-strength concrete poses further difficulties in obtaining ductile response from shear walls. An experimental program consisting of six high-strength concrete shear walls was carried out. Specimens were tested under inplane axial load and reversed cyclic displacements with the test parameters investigated being longitudinal reinforcement ratio, transverse reinforcement ratio and axial load. Lateral loads, lateral displacements and the strains of reinforcement in edge elements and web wall were measured. The test results showed the presence of axial load has a significant effect on the strength and ductility of the shear walls. The axially loaded wall specimens exhibited a brittle behaviour regardless of reinforcement ratio whereas the specimen with no axial load had a lower strength but higher ductility. It was also found that an increase in the longitudinal reinforcement ratio gave an increase in the failure load while an increase in the transverse reinforcement ratio had no significant effect on the strength but influenced the failure mode. A non-linear finite element program based on the crack membrane model and using smeared-fixed crack approach was developed with a new aggregate interlock model incorporated into the finite element procedure. The finite element model was corroborated by experimental results of shear panels and walls. The finite element analysis of shear wall specimens indicated that while strengths can be predicted reasonably, the stiffness of edge elements has a significant effect on the deformational results for two-dimensional analyses. Therefore, to capture the deformation of walls accurately, three-dimensional finite element analyses are required. The shear wall design provisions given in the current Australian Standard and the Building Code of American Concrete Institute were compared with the experimental results. The comparison showed that the calculated strengths based on the codes are considerably conservative, specially when there exists the axial load.

The Best Master's Thesis Award of the Hong Kong Section, American Society of Civil Engineers (2005-06) / published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy