Pseudodynamic tests with substructuring of a full-scale precast box-modularized structure made of reinforced concrete shear walls

A novel horizontal and vertical wall-to-wall and wall-to-floor connection methods for precast box-modularized structure with reinforced concrete shear walls (PBSRCSWs) are proposed in this paper. The entailing behavior of the proposed connections and the seismic performance of one full-scale six-story PBSRCSWs were experimentally studied by means of pseudodynamic substructure tests. In order to improve the relevant experimental accuracy, we presented and validated one versatile testing platform Hytest, combined with external displacement feedback control (EDFC; Hytest with EDFC). In greater detail, it was shown from the pseudodynamic substructure test results that the proposed Hytest with EDFC can effectively impose the desired displacements on the specimens rather than on the actuators. Moreover, both the horizontal and vertical wall-to-wall connections proposed for the PBSRCSWs exhibited a favorable behavior whilst the PBSRCSWs subjected to earthquake records showed an excellent seismic performance.