• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.877-890
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to present adequate modeling solutions for squat and slender RC walls. ASCE41-13 (American Society of Civil Engineers) specifies that the aspect ratios of height to width for the RC walls affect the hysteresis response. Thus, this study performed non-linear analysis subjected to cyclic loading using two different macroscopic models: one of macroscopic models represents flexural failure of RC walls (Shear Wall Element model) and the other (General Wall Element model) reflects diagonal shear failure occurring in the web of RC walls. These analytical results were compared to previous experimental studies for a slender wall (> aspect ratio of 3.0) and a squat wall (= aspect ratio of 1.0). For the slender wall, the difference between the two macroscopic models was negligible, but the squat wall was significantly affected by parameters for shear behavior in the modeling method. For accurate performance evaluation of RC buildings with squat walls, it would be reasonable to use macroscopic models that give consideration to diagonal shear.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.647-665
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• 2014

Squat reinforced concrete walls require enough shear strength in order to promote flexural yielding, which creates the need for designers of an accurate method for strength prediction. In many cases, especially for existing buildings, strength estimates might be insufficient when more accurate analyses are needed, such as pushover analysis. In this case, estimates of load versus displacement are required for building modeling. A model is developed that predicts the shear load versus shear deformation of squat reinforced concrete walls by means of a panel formulation. In order to provide a simple, design-oriented tool, the formulation considers the wall as a single element, which presents an average strain and stress field for the entire wall. Simple material constitutive laws for concrete and steel are used. The developed models can be divided into two categories: (i) rotating-angle and (ii) fixed-angle models. In the first case, the principal stress/strain direction rotates for each drift increment. This situation is addressed by prescribing the average normal strain of the panel. The formation of a crack, which can be interpreted as a fixed principal strain direction is imposed on the second formulation via calibration of the principal stress/strain direction obtained from the rotating-angle model at a cracking stage. Two alternatives are selected for the cracking point: fcr and 0.5fcr (post-peak). In terms of shear capacity, the model results are compared with an experimental database indicating that the fixed-angle models yield good results. The overall response (load-displacement) is also reasonable well predicted for specimens with diagonal compression failure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.501-521
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• 2007

This study presents a model to better understand the shear behavior of reinforced concrete walls subjected to lateral load. The scope of the study is limited to squat walls with height to length ratios not exceeding two, deformed in a double-curvature shape. This study is based on limited knowledge of the shear behavior of low-rise shear walls subjected to double-curvature bending. In this study, the wall ultimate strength is defined as the smaller of flexural and shear strengths. The flexural strength is calculated using a strength-of-material analysis, and the shear strength is predicted according to the softened strut-and-tie model. The corresponding lateral deflection of the walls is estimated by superposition of its flexibility sources of bending, shear and slip. The calculated results of the proposed procedure correlate reasonably well with previously reported experimental results.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.37-59
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• 2023

Squat reinforced concrete (SRC) shear walls are a critical part of the structure for both office/residential buildings and nuclear structures due to their significant role in withstanding seismic loads. Despite this, empirical formulae in current design standards and published studies demonstrate a considerable disparity in predicting SRC wall shear strength. The goal of this research is to develop and evaluate hybrid and ensemble artificial neural network (ANN) models. State-of-the-art population-based algorithms are used in this research for hybrid intelligence algorithms. Six models are developed, including Honey Badger Algorithm (HBA) with ANN (HBA-ANN), Hunger Games Search with ANN (HGS-ANN), fitness-distance balance coyote optimization algorithm (FDB-COA) with ANN (FDB-COA-ANN), Averaging Ensemble (AE) neural network, Snapshot Ensemble (SE) neural network, and Stacked Generalization (SG) ensemble neural network. A total of 434 test results of SRC walls is utilized to train and assess the models. The results reveal that the SG model not only minimizes prediction variance but also produces predictions (with R²= 0.99) that are superior to other models.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.143-162
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• 2011

Advanced material models for concrete are not widely available in general purpose finite element codes. Parameters to define them complicate the implementation because they are case sensitive. In addition to this, their validity under severe shear condition has not been verified. In this article, simple engineering plasticity material models available in a commercial finite element code are used to demonstrate that complicated shear behavior can be calculated with reasonable accuracy. For this purpose dynamic response of a squat shear wall that had been tested on a shaking table as part of an experimental program conducted in Japan is analyzed. Both the finite element and material aspects of the modeling are examined. A corrective artifice for general engineering plasticity models to account for shear effects in concrete is developed. The results of modifications in modeling the concrete in compression are evaluated and compared with experimental response quantities.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.497-507
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• 2024

In squat reinforced concrete walls, the displacement capacity for lateral deformation is low and the ability to resist the axial load can quickly be lost, generating collapse. This work consists of testing two squat reinforced concrete walls. One of the specimens is built with conventional detailing of reinforced concrete walls, while the second specimen is built applying an alternative design, including stirrups along the diagonal of the wall to improve its ductility. This solution differs from the detailing of beams or coupling elements that suggest building elements equivalent to columns located diagonally in the element. The dimensions of both specimens correspond to a wall with a low aspect ratio (1:1), where the height and length of the specimen are 1.4 m, with a thickness of 120 mm. The alternative wall included stirrups placed diagonally covering approximately 25% of the diagonal strut of the wall with alternative detailing. The walls were tested under a constant axial load of 0.1f'cAg and a cyclic lateral displacement was applied in the upper part of the wall. The results indicate that the lateral strength is almost identical between both specimens. On the other hand, the lateral displacement capacity increased by 25% with the alternative detailing, but it was also able to maintain the 3 complete hysteretic cycles up to a drift of 2.5%, reaching longitudinal reinforcement fracture, while the base specimen only reached the first cycle of 2% with rapid degradation due to failure of the diagonal compression strut. The alternative design also allows 46% more energy dissipation than the conventional design. A model was used to capture the global response, correctly representing the observed behavior. A parametric study with the model, varying the reinforcement amount and aspect ratio, was performed, indicating that the effectiveness of the alternative detailing can double de drift capacity for the case with a low aspect ratio (1.1) and a large longitudinal steel amount (1% in the web, 5% in the boundary), which decreases with lower amounts of longitudinal reinforcement and with the increment of aspect ratio, indicating that the alternative detailing approach is reasonable for walls with an aspect ratio up to 2, especially if the amount of longitudinal reinforcement is high.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

In this paper, non-linear analysis was performed for Reinforced Concrete (RC) walls using different macroscopic models subjected to cyclic loading, and the analytical results were compared with previous experimental studies of RC walls. ASCE41-06 (American Society of Civil Engineers) specifies that the hysteresis behaviors of RC walls are different due to the aspect ratio of the walls. For a comparison between analytical and experimental results, a slender wall with an aspect ratio exceeding 3.0 and a squat wall with an aspect ratio of 1.0 were selected among previous research works. For the non-linear analysis, each test specimen was modeled using two different macroscopic methods: the first representing the flexural behavior of the RC wall, and the second considering the diagonal shear in the web of the wall. Through nonlinear analysis of the considered RC walls, the analytical difference of a slender wall was negligible due to the different macroscopic modeling methods. However, the squat wall was significantly affected by the considered components of the modeling method. For an accurate performance evaluation of the RC building with squat walls, it would be reasonable to use a macroscopic model considering diagonal shear.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.461-481
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• 2016

The research described in this paper investigates the seismic behaviour of lightly reinforced concrete (RC) bearing sandwich panels, heavily conditioned by shear deformation. A numerical model has been prepared, within an open source finite element (FE) platform, to simulate the experimental response of this emerging structural system, whose squat-type geometry affects performance and failure mode. Calibration of this equivalent mechanical model, consisting of a group of regularly spaced vertical elements in combination with a layer of nonlinear springs, which represent the cyclic behaviour of concrete and steel, has been conducted by means of a series of pseudo-static cyclic tests performed on single full-scale prototypes with or without openings. Both cantilevered and fixed-end shear walls have been analyzed. After validation, this numerical procedure, including cyclic-related mechanisms, such as buckling and subsequent slippage of reinforcing re-bars, as well as concrete crushing at the base of the wall, has been used to assess the capacity of two- and three-dimensional low- to mid-rise box-type buildings and, hence, to estimate their strength reduction factors, on the basis of conventional pushover analyses.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.615-623
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• 2015

The previous strut-and-tie models (STMs) to evaluate the shear strength of squat shear walls with aspect ratio less than 2.0 do not consider the axial load transfer of concrete strut and individual shear transfer contribution of horizontal and vertical shear reinforcing bars in the web. To overcome the limitation of the existing models, a simple STM was established based on the crack band theory of concrete fracture mechanics. The equivalent effective width of concrete strut having a stress relief strip was determined from the neutral axis depth and effective factor of concrete strength. The shear transfer mechanism of shear reinforcement at the extended crack band zone was calculated from an internally statically indeterminate truss system. The shear transfer capacity of concrete strut and shear reinforcement was then driven using the energy equilibrium in the stress relief strip and crack band zone. The shear strength predictions of squat shear walls evaluated from the current models are in better agreement with 150 test results than those determined from STMs proposed by Siao and Hwang et al. Furthermore, the proposed STM gives consistent agreement with the observed trend of the shear strength of shear walls against different parameters.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.80 no.6
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• pp.645-655
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• 2021

Performance-based reliability analysis is a practical approach to investigate the seismic performance and stochastic nonlinear response of structures considering a random process. This is significant due to the uncertainties involved in every aspect of the analysis. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the performance-based reliability within a stochastic finite element (FE) framework for reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls that are considered as one of the most essential elements of structures. To accomplish this purpose, deterministic FE analyses are conducted for both squat and slender shear walls to validate numerical models through experimental results. The presented numerical analysis is performed by using the ABAQUS FE program. Afterwards, a random-effects investigation is carried out to consider the influence of different random variables on the lateral load-top displacement behavior of RC members. Using these results and through utilizing the Monte-Carlo simulation method, stochastic nonlinear analyses are also performed to generate random FE models based on input parameters and their probabilistic distributions. In order to evaluate the reliability of RC walls, failure probabilities and corresponding reliability indices are calculated at life safety and collapse prevention levels of performance as suggested by FEMA 356. Moreover, based on reliability indices, capacity reduction factors are determined subjected to shear for all specimens that are designed according to the ACI 318 Building Code. Obtained results show that the lateral load and the compressive strength of concrete have the highest effects on load-displacement responses compared to those of other random variables. It is also found that the probability of shear failure for the squat wall is slightly lower than that for slender walls. This implies that 𝛽 values are higher in a non-ductile mode of failure. Besides, the reliability of both squat and slender shear walls does not change significantly in the case of varying capacity reduction factors.