A　RC　shear　wall　with　vertical　mild　steel-lead　energy　dissipation　strips　was　proposed　as　an　improvement　in　seismic　behavior　over　existing　shear　wall　designs.　In　order　to　test　and　ascertain　the　projected　increase　in　performance,　five　low-rise　shear　wall　specimens:　one　normal　RC　shear　wall,　one　RC　shear　wall　with　slits,　two　shear　walls　with　vertical　X　style　mild　steel　energy　dissipation　strips　under　different　design　parameters,　and　one　shear　wall　with　vertical　X　style　mild　steel-lead　energy　dissipation　strips　were　tested　under　cyclic　loading.　Based　on　the　experiment,　the　damage　characteristics,　hysteresis　characteristics,　load-carrying　capacity,　stiffness,　ductility,　and　energy　dissipation　of　the　specimens　were　comparatively　analyzed.　Results　show　that　the　ductility　and　energy　dissipation　of　the　RC　low-rise　shear　wall　with　vertical　X　style　mild　steel　energy　dissipation　strips　and　the　one　with　X　style　mild　steel-lead　energy　dissipation　strips　offer　a　significant　improvement　in　seismic　performance　over　accepted　designs.　In　addition,　the　failure　behavior　of　the　low-rise　shear　wall　tended　towards　bending　failure　rather　than　shear　failure.　©　(2011)　Trans　Tech　Publications.