Evaluation and fitting of a numerical model for reinforced concrete thin walls through experimental results of monotonic and cyclic loading tests

Abstract Reinforced concrete thin walls buildings have become one of the most common alternatives for housing construction in Colombia. However, some studies on this system have reported that walls have a limited deformation capacity and may suffer brittle failures. In this paper, a numerical model developed in OpenSees was used to represent the behavior of thin and slender reinforced concrete walls. The model was evaluated and fitted with the experimental response of two representative walls of this type of construction in high seismic hazard zone, in addition to the results of cyclic tests of other investigations with walls of similar characteristics. The experimental response of the walls indicated that, despite reaching a moderate deformation capacity, for the 1% drift limit, the level of damage was severe and lost 77% and 67% of their initial stiffness, respectively, which confirms that their performance is limited and provides a warning that the design practices may be insufficient. The numerical simulation correlated well with the experimental response in terms of displacement capacity, strength, and hysteric behavior.