Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Horizontally Bolted Joints of Prefabricated Shear Walls

Based on the existing research results on prefabricated shear wall vertical bolt connections, the force performance of horizontal bolt joints composed of multiple bolt connections were further examined in this paper. Through the quasistatic load test of two horizontal bolt joint specimens, the hysteresis curve, backbone curve, and stiffness degradation curve of the wall were obtained. The test results show that the specimens’ load-bearing capacity can reach 240–280 kN, with a maximum displacement between 40 and 70 mm, indicating that the force performance and deformation ability of the horizontal joint are good at this size. The overall shape of the hysteretic curve of the specimens is similar to an arch, with a certain pinch effect, and the hysteretic loop is relatively full, indicating good energy dissipation ability. The failure of the specimens reveals that a single bolt connection exists under shear, compression and tension conditions. The force state of the bolt connections in the horizontal joints was divided into four situations: shear state, axial compression state, small eccentric compression state and large eccentric compression state. For each situation, a calculation formula for bolt connections in horizontal joints was proposed and the average relative error is 4.72%, providing a reference for the force calculation of this type of joint.