Web crushing and deformation capacity of low-rise walls subjected to cyclic loading

The deformation capacity of walls affected by web crushing and flexural reinforcing bar fracture was studied. Web crushing and reinforcing bar fracture occur earlier under cyclic loading than under monotonic loading. Longitudinal elongation is responsible for such premature wall failures. In this study, the web crushing strength degraded by cyclic loading was evaluated as the function of the longitudinal elongation and lateral drift ratio using the Truss Model and the compression field theory. The fracture strain of flexural reinforcing bars was also defined as the function of the longitudinal elongation and lateral drift ratio. The proposed method was used to evaluate the deformation capacity of existing wall specimens with concrete strengths fc' between 21.8 and 53.8 MPa (3.16 and 7.80 ksi) and shear span-depth ratios ls/h between 1.43 and 2.35. The result showed that the proposed method was able to describe the degradation of the deformation capacity of the wall specimens, considering web crushing and reinforcing bar fracture.