Structural behavior of precast reinforced concrete shear walls with large-diameter bars

A series of four precast concrete shear walls with large-diameter reinforcing steel bars or uniformly reinforced were assembled with grouting anchors and tested to failure under cyclic loading. Extensive experimental tests were performed to investigate bearing capacity and displacement ductility. Results show that the tested precast walls with few large-diameter reinforcing bars have more evident flag behavior with wider cycles and higher strength compared with small-diameter uniformly reinforced shear walls. Finite element analyses are performed to simulate the structural behavior of the investigated walls. The obtained skeleton curves are compared with the experimental results to validate the structural model. Finally, some suggestions for seismic design of precast shear wall structures assembled with large-diameter reinforcing bars are provided.