Title:
Effectiveness of Various Types of Macro-Modeling Methods for Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls
Author(s):
Rozhin Farrokhi, Siamak Epackachi, and Vahid Sadeghian
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
122
Issue:
4
Appears on pages(s):
189-204
Keywords:
cyclic response; fiber element; lumped plasticity; macromodel; nonlinear analysis; reinforced concrete (RC) walls; shear-flexure interaction
DOI:
10.14359/51746675
Date:
7/1/2025
Abstract:
Accurate prediction of the cyclic response of reinforced concrete
(RC) shear walls is critical for performance assessment of buildings
under wind and earthquakes. Over the past few decades,
various macro-models have been developed, based on different
formulations and simplifying assumptions, to facilitate large-scale
modeling of RC walls. However, there is limited research on the
accuracy of these models for walls with different characteristics.
This study evaluates the accuracy and application range of
five prevalent macro-models using experimental results from 39
wall specimens with a wide range of design variables. Analytical
and experimental results are compared in terms of cyclic load deflection responses, failure modes, and a set of structural performance measures. The results indicate that while the evaluated
macro-models can predict the behavior of shear walls reasonably
well, there are important limitations that may restrict their application range. Strengths and weaknesses of each macro-model are identified to help engineers in selecting the most suitable analysis
method based on characteristics of the wall.
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