Parametric Study of Slender Shear Walls Reinforced with Shape Memory Alloy Bars

In mid-rise and high-rise buildings, reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls are frequently used to resist seismic forces in earthquake-prone countries. The post-earthquake repair and retrofitting of these walls are very expensive or uneconomical, as observed in the 2010 Chile and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. This paper explores the use of shape memory alloy (SMA) bars in the plastic hinge region of slender reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls. A comprehensive numerical parametric study was performed to understand the effects of various parameters on the hysteretic (force–deformation) response. Several models were developed with different aspect ratios, axial load ratios, reinforcement ratios, and types of SMA. The walls were then subjected to axial and reverse cyclic lateral loading, and the responses were assessed. Based on the responses, new trends were identified between design parameters and response outputs such as stiffness, residual deformation, force–deformation, and critical damage states (i.e. cracking, yielding, and crushing of SMA RC walls). These new relationships can be used to inform the design of low damage SMA RC walls for high seismic regions in Canada and worldwide.