Experimental study on frame-supported multi-ribbed composite walls under low-reversed cyclic loading

Abstract

The paper intends to study the seismic performance of the frame-supported multi-ribbed composite wall (FSMRC wall) with large space at the bottom and with that purpose, it conducts low-reversed cyclic loading experiment to two such specimens, with their scales reduced by 1/2 of the prototypes. Afterwards, the paper looks into the major parameters – failure process, the hysteresis of the vertex-horizontal displacement and of inter-storey displacement, the skeleton curves and the loading–strain curves of the members’ reinforcing steels – of the specimens, both with and without holes, and then carries out comparative studies on the results. On this basis, the stiffness degradation and the residual deformation ratio are discussed, and the experiment results stand as the following: the structure as a whole delivers an extraordinary seismic performance, thanks to the unique layer-by-layer embedded upper design. It should be noted that the failure process and the stiffness degradation of both specimens, with and without the holes, are found to be roughly consistent; at the same time, both has proven to be fairly good in terms of displacement ductility, collapse resistance and repairability.

Keywords:

• frame-supported structure at the bottom
• multi-ribbed composite wall
• low-reversed cyclic loading
• holed wall
• seismic performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51078028]; National Science and Technology Support Program of China [grant number 2011BAJ08B02]; Beijing postdoctoral fund of China [grant number 2015ZZ-29].