Effect of the number of cycles on the seismic residual capacity of slender RC structural walls with unconfined boundaries

Abstract

Recent strong earthquakes have demonstrated that RC structural walls effectively withstand seismic loads due to their high strength and stiffness. However, RC walls designed according to the guidelines of modern codes are prone to seismic damage. Therefore, the literature highlights the necessity of assessing the seismic residual capacity of earthquake damage RC wall components to perform better assessments in post-earthquake scenarios. In addition, current practices in post-earthquake evaluation of seismic residual capacity are based only on the maximum demands achieved, neglecting the number of prior deformation cycles applied. Recent investigations suggest that post-earthquake assessments must consider the effect of cumulative seismic damage on the seismic residual capacity of RC components. Although significant numerical studies support this idea, there is a need for experimental campaigns that thoroughly investigate the effects of the cyclic deterioration of the seismic capacity of RC wall components. This work summarizes an experimental campaign that examines the effects of the number of cycles of slight to moderate ductility demand in the seismic residual capacity of four full-scale RC walls specimens. Finally, results herein show that the number of loading cycles at 1% target drift has no impact on reducing the seismic capacity of the tested wall specimens.