Experimental studies on single-pier steel-concrete hybrid coupled walls

A seismic-resistant single-pier hybrid coupled wall (HCW), consisting of a reinforced concrete (RC) wall coupled to two steel side columns by means steel coupling links acting as primary dissipative elements, is investigated. The RC wall carries almost all the horizontal shear force while the overturning moments are partially resisted by an axial tension-compression couple developed by the two steel columns. The seismic design objective, i.e., yielding the coupling links prior to damage in the RC wall, is achieved using a pinned connection with added vertical dissipative devices at the base of the RC wall as an alternative to the solution where the RC wall is continuous with the foundation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, testing of the base connection under monotonic and cyclic loading as well as testing of full specimens are illustrated.