Study on the Influence of Coupling Beam Depth for Coupled Shear Wall Systems

The geometrical dimensions of coupling beams can strongly alter the overall behavior of coupled shear walls systems. This study examines the differences in structural response of two reinforced concrete coupled shear walls systems with different coupling beam depths. Nonlinear static pushover analysis was conducted on both models, carried out up to a target overall rotation of 2%. The results are compared in terms of peak lateral force, energy dissipation and strength degradation. The deeper beam system proved stiffer and able to dissipate more energy than its counterpart. The shallower beam system offered greater deformation capacity. An important finding is represented by the shift of the strength degradation mechanism: the strong coupling effect generated by the deep coupling beams led to the eventual crushing of concrete in the compressed pier, while the shallower beams began to yield, causing a degradation of the overall coupling moment.