Experimental seismic behavior of innovative composite shear walls

In this paper, an innovative structural wall, named bundled lipped channel-concrete (BLC-C) composite wall, is proposed. The proposed wall consists of bundled lipped channels seam-welded together and in-filled concrete. Seven full-scaled specimens were tested under axial load subjected to cyclic lateral load. The variables studied in the experiments include the configuration of the walls, the axial load ratio, the presence of shear studs, and the loading history. The specimens exhibited ductility and experienced stable hysteresis behavior. The specimens failed in the sequence of local buckling of the steel sheet, and the propagation of the fractures at the boundary of the wall. The seismic behavior of the specimens was evaluated in terms of strength, stiffness, deformation, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity. The results indicate that the level of axial force ratio and the configuration detail significantly affect the entire hysteresis performance, while the presence of shear studs delays the occurrence of fracture and failure.