Abstract:When utilizing double skin composite shear walls as the primary components for resisting lateral forces in buildings, it is crucial to ensure proper horizontal connection of the walls. Currently, traditional bolt connections and welding are the main methods used for horizontal connection of these walls. However, these methods present significant challenges during construction and do not fully exploit the structural advantages of the wall. Based on the structural characteristics of this type of wall, a new type of horizontal joint connection node has been designed for the upper and lower layers of the wall. This new design features a socket-type square semi-grouted sleeve connection. The influence of steel bar diameter, sleeve length, grouting material strength, and sleeve form on the tensile performance of this new connection node has been explored using finite element simulation. The results indicate that this new node effectively connects the horizontal joints of double skin composite shear walls with several advantages including convenient construction and reliable performance. Furthermore, it was observed that failure mainly occurs on connecting steel bars which achieves an "equivalent cast-in-place" goal for prefabricated double skin composite shear walls.