A review on composite actions of plate-reinforced composite coupling beams

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls are widely utilized to resist lateral and gravity loads in modern building designs. The adjacent wall piers are usually connected to the coupling beams. Severe earthquake and wind loads challenge the seismic and shear resistance of conventional reinforced concrete (RC) coupling beams respectively. Their shear and chord rotational capacities may not be able to prevent excessive loading and deformation. Therefore, a plate-reinforced composite (PRC) coupling beam has been developed with the aim to provide a practical and effective alternative that resists extreme loads in building designs. The PRC coupling beam comprises a vertically embedded steel plate that is framed into the wall piers for anchorage and spans across the RC beam. Shear studs are used to increase the composite interaction between the RC components and the embedded steel plate. In this paper, the composite actions between the RC components and the embeded steel plate are discussed. The factors that affect the shear strength and inelastic response of the PRC beams are elaborated. The findings in this paper can be used to enhance the understanding of practitioners on the load-transfer process and capability of PRC coupling beams.