Shear transfer mechanism of a multi-storied shear wall with peripheral members

In the current design code, cantilever shear walls are normally assumed to stand on a solid foundation, and foundation beams, slabs and piles are designed separately without considering their interactions. Moreover, the shear transfer mechanisms are neglected, which along the wall base vary depending on the cracks and inelastic deformation levels at the shear wall base. In this study, a 25% scaled specimen consisting of the lowest three floors of shear wall with a foundation beam, the first floor slab, and two piles in the transverse direction was tested to clarify the variation of the shear transfer mechanisms considering the interaction between a shear wall and other structural elements. Contrary to the design, the yielding of the shear wall preceded that of the foundation beam. From strain distributions of longitudinal reinforcements in the foundation beam, the transition of the shear transfer mechanism was confirmed.