Seismic design of lightly reinforced precast concrete rectangular wall panels

Lightly reinforced precast concrete panels can be used advantageously to provide lateral force resistance in low-rise buildings. The abundance of wall panels in certain buildings means that wall panels that are lightly reinforced can provide sufficient lateral force resistance if designed for nominally elastic or limited ductility response. In these systems, the ductility demand in the critical regions of the walls is expected to be low and, as a result, the detailing of the critical regions can be eased without having any detrimental effect on the overall seismic performance. This paper presents theoretical and practical aspects relevant to the seismic design and behavior of precast concrete rectangular walls that are jointed at the foundation. Particular emphasis is given to the stiffness, useable lateral displacement ductility and the shear transfer in the connection. Experimental results of a test on a single wall unit are also discussed in the paper. A numerical design example is included to show the application of the proposed system.