Tensile behavior of lap splice connections between SC wall and RC foundation

This study addresses a critical gap in the numerical modeling of lap-splice connections between steel plate-composite (SC) walls and reinforced concrete (RC) foundations under axial tension. The primary novelty of this paper is the establishment and validation of a sophisticated finite element model considering the bond-slip behavior and reveals the underlying load-transfer mechanism. The results showed that the formation of a concrete compression strut within a triaxial stress state as the key mechanism for load transfer. The bond stress among lapped rebars is in a nonuniform distribution, which is highest adjacent to the steel plates. The parametric study showed that a significant difference in the axial stiffness between the plates and lapped rebars reduces ductility, and an optimal stud spacing is crucial for balancing strength and deformability. Consequently, the current design specification ANSI/AISC N690-2018 was evaluated and modified to incorporate the failure mode of stud yielding, resulting in a proposed equation whose calculation error is within an acceptable ±10% range, providing valuable design recommendations for practical engineering applications.