Design Requirements for Mechanically Spliced High-Strength Reinforcing Bars in Hinge Regions

The application of mechanically spliced HSRBs is restricted in the hinge region of the concrete shear walls due to the absence of experimental validation. For this reason, this paper comprises testing of four full-scale shear walls. The control wall features HSRBs exclusively at the hinge region, while the remaining walls incorporate couplers of varying lengths, ranging from 3 inches to 14 inches, at their respective hinge regions. The walls will be tested under cyclic loading tests to assess the structural response, deformability, energy dissipation capacity, and failure modes. The walls are 16 feet high, 7 feet long, and 16 inches thick. The walls have a foundation to support and a top beam as a point of the application of loads. The walls will be tested under cyclic load using two 220 kip actuator on a reaction wall. The results of the experimental programm will be used to establish a guideline that covers aspects such as coupler type, concrete cover requirements, detailing at spliced regions, and anchorage lengths to ensure robust performance and compatibility with existing design codes and standards.