Experimental study on the cyclic behavior of perforated CFRP strengthened steel shear walls

In this study, the behavior of perforated carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel composite shear walls under a quasi-static cyclic loading was investigated. Four single-story and single-bay specimens were manufactured with an aspect ratio of 1.33: a simple perforated steel shear wall as a reference model and three perforated composite shear walls. The composite specimens differed in their fiber directions. All specimens had a regular staggered pattern of circular openings. Parametric studies on the stiffness, load-carrying capacity, and ductility were carried out using hysteresis curves. As a detailed new study the strain on the infill panel and buckling waves were also monitored. All the fiber directions were found to considerably affect the stress distribution and tension field direction. While, hysteresis curves indicated that orienting the fibers along the tension field considerably affected the curves and the above parameters, but the effect of fiber orientations in the horizontal and vertical was negligible.