Some Issues in the Seismic Assessment of Shear-Wall Buildings through Code-Compliant Dynamic Analyses

Due to their excellent seismic behavior, shear wall-type concrete buildings are very popular in earthquake-prone countries like Chile. According current regulations, the performance of such structures can be indifferently assessed through linear or non-linear methods analysis. Although all code-compliant approaches supposedly lead a safe design, may fact less precise for catching actual ductile and dissipative structures, which even result unconservative design where comparatively stiff reinforced-concrete shear-wall (RC-SW) concerned. By referring mid-rise multistory RC-SW building built Chile designed according Chilean code, paper investigates effectiveness dynamic analyses predict kind structures. The findings show that (Modal Response Spectrum Analysis Linear Time-History Analysis) significantly underestimate displacement demand buildings. This is highlighted by comparison with results obtained from Non-Linear Analysis, expected give more realistic results. A set ten spectrum-consistent earthquakes was considered carry out time-history while distributed-plasticity fiber-based approach adopted model behavior building. highlights how risk an unsafe become higher when reference made latter considering only Modal (MRSA) without providing corrective factors estimate inelastic demand. checks some amplifying taken literature case-study building, concluding they not effective enough. also warns against danger local soft-story collapse mechanisms, typical reinforced frames but affect weaker structural parts column-like walls present at ground floor.