Palermo, DanCortes Puentes, Wilmar LeonardoMaciel, Marina2019-11-222019-11-222019-072019-11-22http://hdl.handle.net/10315/36752This thesis investigates the seismic performance of hybrid Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)-steel reinforced concrete shear walls containing Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) superelastic SMA as alternative reinforcement in the plastic hinge region. This wall system permits self-centering with high levels of energy dissipation and significant reduction of permanent deformations. Conventional steel-reinforced concrete shear walls were designed for a prototype 10-storey office building, assuming seismic design scenarios in eastern and western Canada. Equivalent hybrid SMA-steel reinforced concrete shear walls were defined following the designed cross-sections of the conventional walls. Full-scale, 2-D finite element models of the walls were developed and subjected to nonlinear, static and time-history analyses, employing historical and simulated ground motion records for the latter. The numerical results confirmed the superior self-centering capacity of the hybrid SMA-steel reinforced walls, showing potential to optimize the seismic performance of reinforced concrete buildings, particularly in high seismic zones, by controlling residual deformations and reducing damage.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Civil engineeringElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2019-11-22Earthquake engineeringSeismic designReinforced concreteShear wallsShape memory alloysSelf-centeringNumerical simulationFinite element analysisNonlinear time history analysisDynamic analysisReverse cyclic analysis