Enhancing seismic performance of lap-spliced concrete shear walls by rebar-debonding

Concrete shear walls have a wide range of applications as one of the primary lateral load-bearing elements in the construction industry. Implementation constraints often lead to the use of lap-spliced Rebar for these walls. The presence of lap-splice allows for longitudinal reinforcement slippage in the lap-spliced region, which, if it occurs, can result in reduced ductility and undesirable seismic performance of the wall. To further investigate this matter, 32 wall models with variations in longitudinal reinforcement diameter, lap-splice length, percentage of transverse reinforcement, and debonded rebar were numerically and analytically studied using finite element analysis. The selected models were subjected to gravity and cyclic lateral loads, considering bond strength and slippage in the lap-spliced region. By comparing the obtained results, including hysteresis curves, ductility, energy dissipation, reinforcement strain, and crack propagation, with continues rebars wall, it was demonstrated that the presence of lap-spliced Rebar for longitudinal reinforcement causes slippage in the lap-spliced region and reduces the structural ductility. Additionally, the results showed that in walls with lap-spliced Rebar, the use of debonding method compensates for the weakness caused by reinforcement slippage, leading to the restoration of ductility and improvement in seismic performance of the wall while ensuring resistance.