Specimen W5 with Continuous Longitudinal Reinforcement in the Web and a Repetition of 12 for Each Drift Target

The main objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that discontinuities in the longitudinal web reinforcement of a structural wall will cause strain concentration in the longitudinal boundary reinforcement. This strain concentration will affect the seismic response of the structural wall. To achieve this objective, six small-scale structural walls with nominally identical cross sections were built and tested by applying displacement reversals. These specimens were divided into three pairs with two test variables: 1) The continuity of longitudinal reinforcement in the web; 2) Number of cycles for a given drift target.

Specimen W5 had continuous longitudinal reinforcement in the web. It was subjected to lateral displacement reversals ranging from 0.25% to 5% of the specimen height. Each displacement target was repeated twelve times.

Specimen W5 lost concrete cover at the bases of both north and south boundary elements after the third cycle at a drift ratio of 4.0%. The longitudinal bars in the north boundary element were observed to have buckled and loss of later-load carrying capacity was detected in the following loading cycle.

Crack maps, photos and detailed analysis of this specimen are given in the final report.