INTERACTION BETWEEN ROCKING-WALL SYSTEM AND SURROUNDING STRUCTURE

Qingzhi Liu1, Catherine W. French1, Sri Sritharan2

1
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, 55455
2
Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011

Abstract: Rocking-wall systems are innovative structural systems developed to reduce damage and
residual displacements as observed in the buildings with regular reinforced concrete structural walls.
To implement the system in buildings, a key factor is to establish dependable connections between the
rocking wall systems and the surrounding structure and understand the interaction between them. Two
large-scale structural assemblages, which had equivalent PreWEC (Precast Wall with End Columns)
rocking-wall systems but different surrounding structures, were tested under quasi-static cyclic loading
with maximum drifts up to 5%. The first specimen (PFS1) included cast-in-place (CIP) edge columns
and a CIP unbonded post-tensioned slab with rigid wall-floor connections. The second specimen (PFS2)
included precast edge columns and untopped precast floor panels with special wall-floor connectors
that isolated the slab from vertical movement of the wall. Test results showed that the strength of PFS1
was more than twice that of PFS2. PFS2 encountered less damage and had slightly better self-centering
performance than PFS1, but it had less energy-dissipation capacity. The difference in performance of
the two assemblages was mainly attributed to the different gravity load transfer paths and constraint
effect of the surrounding structures. Advantages and drawbacks of rocking-wall structures with either
rigid or vertical isolation wall-floor connections are discussed. Design recommendations for the key
components of the rocking-wall structures, including boundary elements of rocking walls, end columns
and wall-floor connections, are provided.

Related figures:

PFS1 - Rocking-wall with cast-in-place floors PFS2 - Rocking-wall with precast floors

Cast-in-place slab Untopped precast slab Force-displacement responses