Numerical Simulation of Cluster-Connected Shear Wall Structures under Seismic Loading

Abstract

The reinforced part at the bottom of high-rise assembled monolithic concrete shear wall structures generally uses cast-in-place concrete due to high elastic–plastic deformation capacity requirements, which limits the advantages of prefabricated shear wall structures. This study investigates the feasibility of using cluster connections to assemble integral shear wall structures at the bottom by modifying the vertical reinforcement of the cluster connection. Numerical simulations using ABAQUS (Version 2019) were validated with laboratory test results. The seismic performance of prefabricated shear walls with cluster connections was examined under varying axial compression ratios. Results indicate that the prefabricated shear wall demonstrates higher bearing and deformation capacity compared to cast-in-place shear walls. The degradation of strength and equivalent stiffness in prefabricated walls is slower, showing better seismic performance under higher axial compression ratios. The cluster connection ensures effective force transmission, maintaining wall integrity. After optimization, the prefabricated shear wall with cluster connection meets the expected seismic performance, providing a basis for its application in reinforced bottom sections.