A novel method for quantifying damage to cast-in-place self-centering concrete stepping walls

In this paper, a novel method is presented for quantifying damage to cast-in-place self-centering concrete stepping walls via a proposed numerical model. By conducting a parametric study, an equation is derived to estimate the plastic hinge length of the wall as a function of the axial prestress ratio. To estimate the state of damage in various parts of the wall, including boundary element, wall-footing interface, and plastic hinge zone, different ratios were introduced. In order to calculate the ratios, damage was calculated at various levels of drift for different values of the prestress ratio. The estimated damage was then compared with the expected damage for the basic performance objective to calibrate the ratios. According to the results, the proposed method can provide insight and valuable information about the probable state of damage. Moreover, to satisfy the basic performance objective requirements, the value of prestress ratio should be limited to 0.125.