Experimental evaluation of the structural performance of foundation beams under RC shear walls with door openings

The aspect ratio of a foundation beam under a multistory wall with door openings is extremely small, similar to those of beams between door openings in upper stories, and therefore the shear failure of such a foundation beam during an earthquake is a concern as it can lead to the failure of beams in upper stories. This study conducted static loading tests of foundation beam specimens under shear walls with door openings to investigate their structural performance. This paper reports the experimental results including the restoring force characteristics and cracking pattern in the beam specimens. Furthermore, an ultimate strength evaluation method for the foundation beams under shear walls with door openings is proposed.