Seismic performance evaluation of code compliant and non-compliant RC walls

ABSTRACT Pakistan’s unique geographical location has made it seismically vulnerable. Owing to this, recent earthquakes have revealed the susceptibility of the existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in Pakistan. This has raised concerns about the structural performance of RC buildings because most mid-rise RC buildings in Pakistan have shear wall lateral force resisting systems. In this study, a survey of existing mid-rise RC buildings in Pakistan's capital territory is used to develop a database of existing RC shear walls. By using this database, this research aims to provide a seismic performance assessment of existing RC shear walls to determine their deficiencies and provide necessary experimental data for retrofitting. Two RC shear wall specimens SW1 and SW2, representing the characteristics of existing RC shear walls are tested under quasi-static loading. The seismic response of the existing RC mid-rise walls is assessed through the mode of failure, hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation, flexure and shear stiffness, and curvature distribution. The findings reveal that the existing mid-rise RC walls in the region did not satisfy the performance criteria recommended by different seismic codes. Hence a comprehensive retrofitting strategy with building code compliance are prerequisites to avoid infrastructural and economic losses due to seismic activity.