| Abstract: | This paper presents an experimental study of H‐shaped precast reinforced concrete shear walls involving vertical connections under combined vertical and lateral loading. The H‐wall is composed of two prefabricated flange wall panels: one prefabricated web wall panel and vertical bolted steel connections between the flange and web panels. The assembling of the H‐wall is completely dry without any in situ casting. Three H‐wall specimens were constructed and tested to investigate the mechanical behavior and seismic performance of them. The lateral load‐bearing capacity, ductility, energy dissipation, lateral stiffness, strain in the connecting steel frame, and sliding within the bolted steel connections are presented and discussed to evaluate the effectiveness of the vertical connections. The ultimate shear‐resistance mechanism of the precast H‐wall assembly is also analyzed. The H‐wall assemblies generally possess high load‐bearing capacity, favorable ductility, and good energy‐dissipating capacity. The thickness of the steel plates in the connecting steel frame affects the lateral stiffness and the ultimate load‐bearing capacity of the H‐walls. Furthermore, the encasing steel plates for the web wall panel not only helps transfer the stress in the wall steel bars but also confines the concrete resulting in improved ductility. |
