Title: Evaluation of Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls through Finite Element Analysis

Author(s): R.T. Mullapudi, P. Charkhchi, and A.S. Ayoub

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 265

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 73-100

Keywords: fiber model; reinforcement ratio; shear wall; slenderness ratio; softened membrane model.

DOI: 10.14359/51663291

Date: 10/1/2009

Abstract:
Reinforced concrete shear walls are typically modeled with two-dimensional continuum elements. Such models can accurately describe the local behavior of the wall element. Continuum models are computationally very expensive, which limits their applicability to conduct parameter studies. Fiber beam elements, on the other hand, have proven to be able to model the behavior of slender walls rather well, and are computationally very efficient. With the inclusion of shear deformations and concrete constitutive models under a biaxial state of stress, fiber models can also accurately simulate the behavior of walls for which shear plays an important role. This paper presents a model for wall-type reinforced concrete structures based on fiber beam analysis under cyclic loading conditions. The concrete constitutive law is based on the recently developed softened membrane model. The finite element model was validated through a correlation study with two experimentally tested reinforced concrete walls. The model was subsequently used to conduct a series of numerical studies to evaluate the effect of several parameters affecting the nonlinear behavior of the wall. These parameters include the slenderness ratio, the transverse reinforcement ratio, and the axial force. These studies resulted in several conclusions regarding the global and local behavior of the wall system.