Dataset: Decay of Torsional Stiffness of RC U-shaped Walls When Subjected Simultaneously to In-Plane Loading

Reinforced concrete U-shaped walls are a popular construction choice, commonly used to resist the lateral loads from wind and earthquakes. When subjected to earthquake ground motions, it is likely that these structural elements will not only bend in flexure but twist due to asymmetries of the building plan layout and the location of the shear center outside of the section. This research investigates the dependency of the torsional stiffness of U-shaped walls on the in-plane translational displacement demands using novel experimental evidence and advanced numerical models. The experimental results show that for a given flexural position, the torsional stiffness decreases with increasing in-plane translational displacement. Furthermore, the numerical and experimental results indicate that when the wall is centered the torsional stiffness degrades at the same rate at the translational stiffness of the walls. Thus, the torsional stiffness of a U-shaped wall as a function of ductility can be estimated using the translational secant stiffness. The numerical results also show that the torsional stiffness increases as a function of the axial load ratio of the wall. The experimental and numerical dataset from this research investigation can be downloaded from a publicly accessible repository.