Title: Reinforced Concrete Coupling Beams with Different Layouts under Seismic and Wind Load

Author(s): Tse-An Chou, Seung Heon Lee, Chunho Chang , Thomas H.-K. Kang

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume:

Issue:

Appears on pages(s):

Keywords: confinement; coupling beam; diagonal reinforcement; longitudinal reinforcement; reinforced concrete; seismic loading; wind loading

DOI: 10.14359/51738743

Date: 3/27/2023

Abstract:
Reinforced concrete (RC) coupling beams can act as an efficient energy-dissipating fuse and force transfer element between RC shear walls in low to high-rise buildings. To investigate the effect of different reinforcement layouts, amounts of confinement, and loading protocols on RC coupling beams, eight RC coupling beams with a span-depth ratio of 2.5 were tested with three parameters 1) longitudinal or diagonal reinforcement layout; 2) full, 2/3, or 1/2 amount of confinement relative to ACI 318-19 requirements; and 3) seismic or wind loading protocols. The test results showed that: first, the nominal shear and upper limit equations for diagonally RC coupling beams in ACI 318-19 may need to be improved, and it is also recommended to consider the contribution of confinement to shear strength; and second, since only minor cracks were observed under the wind with no significant damage, the experiment in this study can act as an example of structural verification for performance-based wind design.