Seismic testing of autoclaved aerated concrete shearwalls: A comprehensive review

A comprehensive research program has recently. been carried out to propose design provisions for autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and to develop the technical basis for those provisions. The first phase of that research program addressed extensive testing on AAC shearwalls, which are the fundamental lateral force-resisting elements of AAC structural systems. The shearwall specimens were made of a variety of AAC elements, including masonry-type units and reinforced panels, laid either horizontally or vertically. The aspect ratio of the specimens (ratio of height to base length) varied from 0.6 to 3, and each specimen was designed to fail in either shear orflexure. Based on the test results obtained at The University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere, reliable procedures and corresponding provisions were developed for the design behavior of AAC shearwalls consisting of masonry-type units or horizontally oriented reinforced panels as governed by flexure, shear, and other limit states. In this context, "reliable" connotes low coefficients of variation (generally below 15%) and values close to or exceeding 1.0 for the ratios of observed capacity to the capacity predicted using equations based on the tested strength.