Influence of diagonal web reinforcement on cyclic behavior of structural walls

Five reinforced concrete (RC) structural wall specimens were subjected to cyclic loading in order to study the influence of diagonal web reinforcement. The experimental parameters included the amount and configuration of reinforcing bars in the web. The conventionally reinforced wall failed due to web crushing with an abrupt drop in load capacity, whereas the walls reinforced with diagonal web reinforcement failed in a more ductile mode. Test results clearly indicate that the diagonal web reinforcement reduces the shear and sliding displacement components. The specimens with diagonal web reinforcement exhibit less pinching in the hysteresis loops than the conventional one. Consequently, the energy dissipation capacity of the former is superior to the latter. An alternative web reinforcement configuration which combines the superior performance of the diagonal reinforcement and the simplicity of placement of the conventional type is also proposed. Test results reveal that the wall with mixed web reinforcement exhibits performance comparable with the wall with diagonal reinforcement.