Optimization of Shear Wall location in C Shaped Reinforced Concrete Framed Building subjected to earthquake loading

Abstract

Abstract Shear wall provide large strength and stiffness to buildings in the direction of their orientation, which reduces sway of the building significantly and thereby reduces damage to the structure. When walls are situated in advantageous positions in a building, they may be very efficient in resisting lateral loads originating from wind or earthquakes. A framework is proposed to obtain the optimum location of shear wall for the ‘C’ shaped structure such that the torsional effect arising in the structure due to its plan irregularity is minimized. The proposal is based on the selection of optimum location that converges to the optimum structural and engineering demand parameters for a 'C' shaped structure with a fixed length of shear wall. A G + 15 story structure is considered for an illustrative example of the framework considering fourteen models of shear wall location for a ‘C’ shaped structure with a fixed length of shear wall (14.5% wall to floor area ratio). The analytical results of each model have been compared with that of bare frame model in terms of base shear, peak story displacement, peak story drift, static eccentricity, time period and torsional moment, and the optimum model is reported. The proposed framework as well as the presented example is expected to serve as the guideline for deciding the optimum location of shear walls for the ‘C’ shaped structure.