The seismic performance of prefabricated reinforced concrete block masonry shear walls (PRMSWs) was studied. Five PRMSWs were tested under cyclic loading to evaluate the effect of the axial compression ratio and the distribution of the vertical rebar on the inelastic behavior. Based on the experimental results, the lateral load capacity, failure mode, lateral drift, ductility, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and the seismic performance stability of the specimens were analyzed. The finite element analysis of the specimens was conducted with ABAQUS, which agreed quite well with the laboratory findings. Relevant results showed that PRMSW exhibited favorable ductility and energy dissipation. The increase of the compression ratio led to stiffer, but more brittle, inelastic behavior of the specimens that had higher flexural strength. The shear walls that had concentrated vertical rebar at the sides exhibited relatively higher load capacity and less ductility compared to the walls that had evenly distributed rebar. The inelastic lateral drift limit of the PRMSW could be assigned 1/120. The equivalent viscous damping ratio of the PRMSW was 9–13% at ultimate load. These results provide a technical basis for the design and application of the PRMSW structures.
In recent years, traditional masonry structures have been widely used in rural areas of China. However, they were found to have a poor seismic performance during earthquakes. In this study, a new prestressing technology was proposed and described in detail, and it was used in fully grouted concrete masonry wall systems to improve its seismic performance. The experimental work involved investigating the seismic response of four fully grouted reinforced concrete masonry wall systems, consisting of two symmetrically arranged reinforced block masonry walls, with different section types and prestressing technologies, when subjected to cyclic lateral force. Based on the test results, a flexure and ductile failure occurred in the specimens with a rectangular section, while a shear and brittle failure occurred in the specimens with a T-shape section. The prestressing technology had no significant effect on the failure state of the specimens, but it influenced the crack propagation, making cracks fine and densely covered. A symmetrical and obvious pinching effect was observed in the hysteretic response of all specimens. The average displacement ductility of the specimens varied within a range of values between 3.34 and 6.92, according to the section type of the specimens, and the prestressing technology improved the displacement ductility of the specimens. Moreover, the prestressing technology significantly improved the initial stiffness of the specimens, and the specimens with prestressing technology experienced a greater fall in the degradation of the normalized stiffness than the specimens without this technology throughout the loading process. In addition, the equivalent viscous damping of the specimens ranged between 8.2% and 10.8%, according to the section type. It could be concluded that the prestressing technology improved the energy dissipation of the specimens at the ascending stage, although it had no marked influence on the equivalent damping ratio of the specimens.
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