Seismic performances of the joint between replaceable-coupling beams and composite shear wall

Double-skin composite shear walls (DSCSW) have been widely used in high-rise buildings. A novel joint between the replaceable coupling beam (RCB) and the DSCSW (RCB-to-DSCSW joint) was proposed, and its seismic behavior was investigated. Three specimens with varying lengths of the embedded steel I-beam were subjected to a quasi-static test. The damage mode of the joint includes local buckling of the faceplate, tensile fracture of the faceplate butt weld, and concrete crushing. The tensile fracture of the faceplate weld and the concrete crushing significantly affect the ductility of joints. An increase in the length of the embedded I-beam improves the transfer of external loads to the interior of wall pier. In addition, the specimen with a longer steel I-beam (CJ-3) exhibits higher initial stiffness, strength, and ductility. The cumulative energy consumption of CJ-3 was the highest for the same rotation of loading. A simplified method to calculate the joint bearing capacity according to the components' stress patterns was proposed and validated.