Effect of transverse reinforcement on short structural wall behaviour

Abstract

This paper reports on an investigation of the effect of the transverse reinforcement arrangement on the effective ductility of short structural walls. The work described is based on a comparative study of the behaviour of three pairs of specimens, with different transverse reinforcement arrangements, tested under cyclic loading. Two of the reinforcement arrangements investigated are those specified by Eurocode 8 (EC8) for medium and high ductility levels and the third is that resulting from application of the compressive force path method, with the latter method, unlike EC8, not specifying confining reinforcement within the critical regions. The results obtained indicate that, in spite of the significant differences in the reinforcement arrangement, all specimens exhibited similar behaviour as regards ductility, load-carrying capacity and mode of failure, the latter being characterised by crushing of concrete and buckling of the flexural bars within the compressive zone at the base of the specimens.