Seismic Performance of a New Type of Coupled Shear Wall with Replaceable Components: Experimental Validation

This study proposes a new type of reinforced concrete (RC) coupled shear wall with replaceable coupling beams and replaceable corner components (RCCs) installed at the bottom corners of wall piers. To assess the seismic performance of the new coupled shear wall and verify the proposed design methodology, four 1/2-scale specimens including one conventional RC coupled shear wall and three new coupled shear walls were tested under lateral cyclic loading. The test results indicate that compared with conventional RC coupled shear walls the seismic performance of the new coupled shear wall is significantly improved.