Comparison of Shear Wall Deformations and Forces Using Two Approaches

Abstract

Shear walls have been used successfully in low and mid-rise precast concrete buildings for more than 35 years to provide the lateral resistance against wind and seismic forces. This study compares the lateral deformations and section forces of cantilevered shear walls in four building layouts by two different procedures. Walls that are 7 to 30 ft (2.13 to 9.14 m) long are considered with two to six stories in height. The comparison shows that the simpler beam model (with shear deformations) yields displacement and force results that are very close to the more complex finite element approach with a fine mesh. It is concluded that the beam model is an appropriate and accurate alternative to the more refined finite element method.