Title:
Effectiveness of Various Types of Macro-Modeling Methods for Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Rozhin Farrokhi, Siamak Epackachi and Vahid Sadeghian
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
cyclic response; fiber element; lumped plasticity; macro-model; nonlinear analysis; reinforced concrete walls; shear-flexure interaction
DOI:
10.14359/51746675
Date:
3/17/2025
Abstract:
Accurate prediction of the cyclic response of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls is critical for performance assessment of buildings under wind and earthquakes. Over the past few decades, various macro-models have been developed, based on different formulations and simplifying assumptions, to facilitate large-scale modeling of RC walls. However, there is limited research on the accuracy of these models for walls with different characteristics. This study evaluates the accuracy and application range of five prevalent macro-models using experimental results from 39 wall specimens with a wide range of design variables. Analytical and experimental results are compared in terms of cyclic load-deflection responses, failure modes, and a set of structural performance measures. The results indicate that while the evaluated macro-models can predict the behavior of shear walls reasonably well, there are important limitations that may restrict their application range. Strengths and weaknesses of each macro-model are identified to help engineers select the most suitable analysis method based on the characteristics of the wall.