Hybrid Simulation Testing of Coupling Beams

Short and stiff beams coupling shear walls in RC buildings present concerns regarding their seismic response and specifically their mode of failure and their energy dissipation capacity. Although their behavior has been subject of several experimental campaigns, most of the respective specimens used were tested as elements isolated from the rest building and assumptions had to be employed regarding the proper kinematic conditions to be applied at beam end sections during testing - with the common option of choice being to free the axial degree of freedom. To offer more insight into the coupling beam-structure interaction and its effect on beam response, component-level testing on coupling beams was initially performed, followed by hybrid simulation of an eight-story RC structure. Test results make evident the effect kinematic constraints inflict on the shear capacity and failure mode of coupling beams.