Study on the Seismic Performance of Prefabricated Walls Under the Synergistic Effect of Different Connection Methods and Low-Carbon Materials

Dry-connected prefabricated composite walls have been increasingly used in steel structures owing to the development of building industrialization and the demand for rapid and efficient construction. However, the respective influences of dry-connection configuration and wall panel material on the seismic response of prefabricated composite walls require further clarification. To address this issue, full-scale quasi-static tests, continuum damage mechanics (CDM) analysis, and finite element simulations were conducted. Six specimens were tested under low-cycle reversed loading. The influence of connection type was evaluated by comparing MRC walls with U-type and Z-type connections, whereas the influence of wall panel material was evaluated by comparing MRC and SFC walls under U-type connections. For the tested MRC walls, the deformation capacity of the connections strongly influenced the failure mode. The U-type rigid connections provided limited deformation buffering, resulting in stress concentration at the wall ends, initial cracking at displacements of 8–10 mm, rapid crack propagation, and semi-brittle failure. In contrast, the Z-type flexible connections released deformation demand through the slip and rotation mechanisms of the slotted holes. The maximum tested displacements of the Z-type specimens were approximately 2.58–2.78 times the ultimate displacements of the corresponding U-type specimens. The Z-type specimens maintained stable load-carrying behavior with limited panel damage throughout the tested displacement range. Furthermore, a restoring-force calculation method was established based on CDM theory, and the predicted peak loads were generally consistent with the experimental results. This study identifies the load-transfer, deformation, and energy-dissipation characteristics of the tested connection–panel configurations and provides comparative evidence for the further development of prefabricated composite wall systems.