Behavior of Seismically Detailed Reinforced Concrete Block Shear Walls with Boundary Elements under Out-of-Plane Loading

Although boundary elements have been known to enhance the in-plane performance of reinforced concrete block shear walls under seismic loading, research examining their influence on the walls’ out-of-plane performance (e.g., due to blast loading) is very scarce. Unlike conventional walls with rectangular cross sections, boundary elements allow the use of closed ties and multiple layers of vertical reinforcement, thus enhancing the wall’s overall …