Experimental Lateral Load Response of Unbonded Post-Tensioned Precast Concrete Walls

This paper reports on the experimentally observed response of five large-scale, isolated, multi-story, unbonded post-tensioned (UPT) precast concrete walls with horizontal joints under combined gravity and lateral loading. Test results show that the limit states characterize lateral load response of the walls occurs as anticipated. The results demonstrate that the response of UPT precast concrete walls can be controlled by adjusting parameters such as the total area of post-tensioning steel and the level of prestressing. In addition, the results show that these walls can undergo significant nonlinear lateral drifts without significant damage while maintaining their self-centering characteristics and eliminating residual lateral drift.