Title: Prediction of Lateral Load-Displacement Curve of Reinforced Concrete Walls with Openings under Shear Failure

Author(s): Ren-Jie Tsai, Yu-Cheng Hsu, and Shyh-Jiann Hwang

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume: 118

Issue: 5

Appears on pages(s): 275-283

Keywords: force-transfer mechanism; load-displacement curve; shear failure; vertical wall segment; wall with opening

DOI: 10.14359/51732835

Date: 9/1/2021

Abstract:
Many residential buildings in Taiwan use reinforced concrete (RC) walls with openings; the stiffness and strength of the walls with openings greatly influence the structural seismic behaviors. Neglecting the lateral capacities of these RC walls with openings may cause mispredictions of seismic evaluation and may lose the economy of seismic retrofitting to low-rise buildings. To address this concern, this paper presents a prediction model of the lateral load-displacement curve of RC walls with openings in shear failure on the basis of the force-transfer mechanism. This model is applicable for cases where the openings create weak areas in the vertical wall segments. Test specimens of squat walls with aspect ratios less than 0.82 and a window opening at the center are selected for verification. A comparison of the skeleton curves from the prediction and experiments indicates that this model is reasonable and can be applied as an analytical model for practical use.