Hysteresis rules of perforated low-rise reinforced concrete shear walls and seismic design parameters assessment of buildings

The objective of this research project is to investigate the inelastic behavior and hysteresis rules of low-rise RC perforated shear walls through a series of experimental and analytical studies based on various types of monotonic and earthquake loads. The results derived are then applied to seismic response analysis of box type structures as well as typical low-rise shear wall buildings. The studies also involve development of backbone curves of load-displacement relationship of individual walls, equivalent viscous damping of the walls, and sensitivity analysis of design paramenters for building systems. By observing the failure of cracked shear wall experimentally, a set of semi-empirical equations for backbone curve of perforated shear wall is obtained. Comparison between experimental results and calculated curves is favorable. Concept of energy dissipation is used to establish hysteresis rules which are based on dissipated energy envelopes calculated from experimental data for different loading states. Analytical formulation for a perforated shear wall element model is developed by using three springs: one nonlinear equivalent shear spring; two nonlinear axial springs. Total lateral displacement of a shear wall is a result of both flexure and shear. A four-story industrial building of box type consisting of solid shear walls without boundary columns and a three-story commercial building consisting of isolated columns as well as walls with boundary columns are studied for evaluating various design parameters in building code by using monotonic static analysis. The three-story building is also studied on the basis of dynamic analysis with Lorna Prieta earthquake (1989) and six simulated earthquakes. The sensitivity study of design parameters includes ductility reduction factor, force reduction factor, overstrength factor, and ratio of displacement amplification to force reduction factor. Results are recommended for future building code development --Abstract, page iii