This experimental investigation addresses the sliding behaviour found to occur in reinforced concrete shear walls under earthquake loads. This investigation compromises a series of 13 compact specimens.
The tests were conducted in a biaxial test setup. The test sequences were designed to mimic the load
and displacement history of a portion of the squat wall under horizontal cyclic loading. The specimens
were pre-cracked up to a defined crack width. Next, diagonal compression was applied. Through the
variation of the reinforcement ratio, the initial crack width, the number of cycles and the amplitudes,
the effects of aggregate interlock, dowel action and shear friction in the crack were quantified. In this
paper we will present the observations and the results of the cyclic tests on the core specimen group
and on the monotonically tested specimens.