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Prefabricated reinforced concrete (PC) shear walls are widely used because of their convenience of construction. Diverse forms of wall joints for assembling precast shear walls were studied in the recent decade. However, during the assembly of mutually perpendicular precast shear walls, it is difficult to satisfy joint strength requirements. In this study, an H-shaped Shear Key (HSK) with welding connections was proposed for the connection of mutually perpendicular precast shear walls. Quasi-static cyclic loadings were conducted to test the seismic properties of HSK specimens with different welding configurations. The strength, energy dissipation capacity and fatigue properties of specimens were compared. Image measurement was adopted to measure the damage patterns and crack dimensions. The test results validated the effectiveness of the HSK specimens and appropriate configurations of HSKs are recommended for practical engineering applications.

Prefabricated reinforced concrete shear walls are widely used because of their stiffness, strength and convenient form of construction, despite their low ductility and energy dissipation capacity. For ease of transport, large shear walls are commonly divided into smaller sections and assembled on site. Steel shear keys (SSKs) can replace wet joints connecting the wall sections while increasing the ductility and energy dissipation of shear wall systems. Here, we present an improved SSK design and a practical installation method for connecting shear walls. The SSK shape is optimized through an Improved Simulated Annealing method to enhance the cycle fatigue performance. Fillet welding and plug welding are combined to save the installation space and delay the out-of-plane buckling. Quasi-static cyclic tests were performed to investigate the SSKs with the welded connection, which exhibited satisfactory energy dissipation capacity. The combined welding method provided a strong SSK–wall connection while significantly delaying out-of-plane buckling.