A new Cyclic Softened Membrane Model (CSMM) was recently developed to predict the stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation of reinforced concrete (RC) elements subjected to reversed cyclic shear. Using the nonlinear finite element analysis, we can integrate these responses of elements to predict the behavior of a whole structure, such as a low-rise shear wall, subjected to earthquake action. This study of CSMM summarizes systematically the effects of the two primary variables: the steel bar angle with respect to the direction of the applied principal stresses and the steel percentage. The results clearly show that RC structures under cyclic shear stresses could be designed to be very ductile, have large stiffness, and possess high energy-dissipation capacities (just like flexural-dominated elements), if the steel bars are properly oriented in the directions of principal stresses and if the steel percentages are kept within certain limits.
