Dynamic Ductility Demand and Capacity Design of Earthquake-Resistant Reinforced Concrete Walls

Reinforced concrete structural walls may provide efficient earthquake-resistance in multi-story buildings. In Europe they are commonly combined with gravity load dominated slender columns whereby the entire horizontal action is taken by the walls. The major findings of this paper pertain to three important design aspects as follows: (1) the dynamic rotational ductility demand may have a different distribution over various height to length aspect ratios of the wall than previously anticipated by static analysis. (2) the dynamic bending moment demand over the height of the wall may differ from the static assumption depending on the aspect ratio of the wall. This necessitates a modified moment capacity distribution. (3) the dynamic shear force at the base of the wall may exceed the previous assumptions of the capacity design method.