SEISMIC RESPONSE OF STEEL BEAMS COUPLING CONCRETE WALLS

Ductile coupled flexural walls are the primary seismic load resisting systems of many structures. The coupling beams of these structures must exhibit excellent ductility and energy-absorption ability. To achieve better ductility and energy absorption than previously possible, the use of steel link beams with their ends embedded in the reinforced concrete walls is proposed. Preliminary experimental results are reported for two full-scale reversed cyclic-loading tests of portions of ductile flexural walls coupled with steel link beams. The excellent performance, together with the ease of construction, demonstrate the feasibility of this alternative form of construction. To ensure ductile response, design and detailing guidelines for both the clear span and embedded portions of the link beams and the reinforced concrete embedment region are presented. An assessment, based on comparisons with other structural systems, of this new type of construction is presented.