An experimental study on the seismic performance of medium- to low-rise RC structures controlled by both shear and flexure

Abstract

The lateral-force-resisting systems (LFRSs) of many medium- to low-rise reinforced concrete (RC) buildings are composed of members that may be vulnerable to pre-emptive shear failures, depending on whether their shear strengths are sufficient to develop their flexural strengths (hereafter referred to as dual LFRSs). Therefore, such buildings have a lateral strength associated with the strengths of components, and the component strengths may be governed by both shear and flexure. At present, there is no effective way of assessing the relationship of component strengths between the shear and flexure of a RC building having a dual LFRS. Several studies have investigated the seismic performance of RC buildings controlled by both shear and flexure, but the scope of these studies was very limited and they focused mainly on analytical research. In this study, a series of pseudo-static reversed cyclic loading tests was conducted in the laboratory to investigate seismic performance in terms of the structural non-linear behaviour and lateral-force-resisting mechanism at the ultimate state of a dual LFRS. The results of this research provide fundamental information for the proposal of hysteresis characteristics and a practical guideline for evaluating the seismic performance of medium- to low-rise RC buildings comprising members failing in both shear and flexure.