Experimental study on seismic performance of embedded steel plate-HSC composite shear walls

In order to improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls and widely apply high strength concrete (HSC) in complex high-rise buildings, this paper proposes an embedded steel plate-HSC composite shear wall. The seismic performance of the composite shear walls were examined through a series of tests based on 20 specimens, including 18 embedded steel plate-HSC composite shear walls and 2 normal RC shear walls. The influence of axial compression ratio and the thickness of the embedded steel plate (steel ratio of shear wall) on the seismic performance of the specimens were particularly investigated. The results indicate that compared with normal RC shear walls, the embedded steel plate-HSC composite shear walls have significantly improved load carrying capacity, deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity. Whereas in order to achieve an optimal seismic performance, the steel ratio of the embedded steel plate-HSC composite shear walls should be controlled within a scope and the design axial compression ratio should be controlled within 0.5. Formulas used to evaluate the shear strength of the composite shear wall were proposed, and the calculated results were shown in good agreement with the test results; a design suggestion for the steel plate thickness was also recommended.