SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS LEVEL SEISMIC PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF SELF-CENTERING STEEL-CONCRETE HYBRID COUPLED WALLS

Several innovative structural solutions have been proposed in the last few decades to address the demand for seismic-resilient constructions. These solutions aim to minimize residual deformations and accelerate the repair process of structures after extreme seismic events. In this context, the present study investigates the seismic performance of an innovative seismic-resilient steel-concrete composite solution in which reinforced concrete shear walls coupled with self-centering steel beams, i.e., self-centering coupled wall systems (SC-CWs). The target coupling beams feature a friction-damped self-centering mechanism, which dissipates the seismic energy and contributes to the residual drift reduction, hence facilitating the repair of the structure after major earthquakes. 5-and 8-story SC-CWs are designed and considered for case study purposes. Non-linear finite element models are developed in OpenSees to perform non-linear static and dynamic analyses. Non-linear time-history analyses are performed in an Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) fashion to evaluate the seismic response of each configuration, also accounting for the seismic input uncertainty, i.e., the record-to-record variability. Global and Local Engineering Demand Parameters (EDPs) are monitored to develop system-and component-level fragility curves. The results provide insights into the seismic response of SC-CWs, considering several damage states. The results are also compared with those obtained for similar CWs with replaceable links.