Simulation of Nonlinear Seismic Response of Reinforced Concrete Structural Walls

In this study the performance of three macro-models in predicting the nonlinear response of different walls is investigated. The macro-models used are: Equivalent Beam Model, Multiple Vertical Line Element Model and a shear panel model developed by Massone et al. (2006). The walls are classified as slender, intermediate, and squat walls according to their shear-span ratio. First, three single wall specimens tested by other researchers are modeled. The numerical simulations are compared with available test data to evaluate the performance of the different modeling approaches. Secondly, the height of one wall specimen is varied to obtain different aspect ratios. The simulation results for the three macro-models are compared to examine their ability to incorporate shear behavior, and the loss of accuracy with decreasing aspect ratio. Findings from this study will be useful in advancing nonlinear simulation models for analysis of shear wall structures, especially for intermediate and squat walls.