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Document Type

Original Study

Subject Areas

Civil Engineering

Keywords

Composite shear walls; Encased R-C walls; Cyclic loading test; Cold-formed steel; Non-linear Finite Element Analysis; Experimental Investigation

Abstract

The composite shear wall with embedded cold formed steel-braces (ECFSB) is a revolutionary pattern of composite wall. It involves of a cold formed steel (CFS) braced frame that is fully immersed within reinforced concrete. The purpose of this configuration is to develop the lateral resilience of the shear wall. The CF steel columns, which are embedded the walls, boost the wall's capability to augment bending forces. Additionally, the steel braces, which are enclosed within the web, enhance the wall's efficiency to resist shear forces. This study investigates the cyclic shear behaviour of compact embedded cold formed steel (ECFS) walls by the implementation of quasi-static tests. Two wall specimens were evaluated, each containing an encased C-channel on each side of the boundary wall. One of the specimens included a tube steel brace (ECFSB-W), while the second specimen did not (ECFS-W). The third specimen, referred to as the control wall (C-W), was examined and compared to the composite wall. For each specimen, the shear-to-span ratio was 1.7. Both specimens exhibited a same failure mode, which was characterized by the formation of crisscrossed-diagonal cracks. The hysteretic responses of both specimens were almost indistinguishable, and the steel brace buckled after reaching its yield point. This suggests the possibility of utilizing steel tube bracing with CFS on each side as an alternative to traditional walls, as the former offers enhanced efficiency and building quality. The testing results indicate that ECFSB-W exhibits a superior seismic performance, with approximately a 75% improvement compared to C-W. However, it also demonstrates reduced ductility, with a decrease of around 47% when compared to the same specimen. 3-D finite element models (FEMs) are created and compared to the experimental data for validation. ECFS, and ECFSB walls have been observed to offer reliable estimates of their shear strength capacity.

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