This paper presents the results of quasi-static cyclic tests on six reinforced concrete (RC) walls performed at the ETH Zurich. These large-scale tests investigate the effect of different vertical reinforcement contents and different reinforcement ductility properties typical for Central Europe on the deformation behaviour of slender RC walls. The test data documenting the global and local behaviour of the test units is available online and can therefore serve as a reference point for the research community. The experimental results show the importance of the reinforcement content and the ductility properties of both the boundary and web reinforcement for the deformation behaviour of the walls. By comparing base curvatures derived from experimental data with curvatures obtained from section analysis, strain limits characterising different limit states in plastic hinge analysis are suggested. These strain limits can be used in the performance-based design and assessment of RC structural walls. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.