Analytical and pushover analysis for predicting nonlinear force–displacement relationships of slender RC walls

Abstract

This article combines analytical and numerical approaches to the nonlinear behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) walls under lateral load. The study uses a bilinear force–displacement relationship. In the elastic regions of RC walls, the equations of equilibrium, constitutive laws, compatibility equations, and boundary conditions are used. In the plastic regions, a slender RC wall is modeled as a single degree of freedom spring-mass system to determine the inelastic flexural response of walls. In addition, an ‘equivalent wide column’ model for slender RC walls is proposed and applied to perform nonlinear static pushover analysis. The lateral force–displacement relationships of RC walls obtained by both analytical study and pushover analysis can accurately predict experimental results in the elastic and inelastic regions. This proposed method is suitable for seismic evaluation of existing RC structural wall buildings.