Palermo, DanMorcos, Mena2021-07-062021-07-062021-042021-07-06http://hdl.handle.net/10315/38489Superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SE-SMA) have provided a viable novel alternative to conventional steel reinforcement for the construction of earthquake-resilient structures. The capacity of SE-SMA to recover from high strains upon unloading provides the mechanism required to develop self-centering smart structures. Shear walls are routinely used seismic force resisting systems in concrete construction, which makes them qualified candidates for the application of SE-SMA longitudinal reinforcement. The integration of SE-SMA into a hybrid-reinforced flexural system is expected to rectify inelastic lateral displacements and economize the cost of post-disaster repair. A large-scale slender superelastic Nitinol-reinforced concrete shear wall was tested numerically and experimentally, along with a control specimen, under quasi-static load reversals to assess seismic performance. The results of the SE-SMA wall demonstrated efficient dissipation of seismic energy to achieve high drift recovery and easily repairable damage, suggesting a low probability of demolition and substantial savings over the lifetime of the structure.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Civil engineeringElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2021-07-06earthquakeseismicconcretereinforcementNitinolshape memory alloysSMAsuperelasticSE-SMAself-centerself-centeringself-centering smart structuresstrain recoverydrift recoveryslender wallshear wallwallalternative reinforcementearthquake resilientstructural resiliencysmart materialsmart structuresperformance-basedperformance-based seismic designstructuralbuildingsreinforced concretesustainablesustainabilityflexuralhybrid-reinforced flexural systemrepairable damagepost-disaster repairexperimentaldemolitionslender superelastic Nitinol-reinforced concrete shear walllateral displacementlongitudinal reinforcementfinite element modelnon-linear finite element analysisNLFEAconstitutive modelnormal concreteself-consolidating concreteseismic force-resisting systemslateral force-resisting system