Inelastic Dynamic Seismic Response of 15-Story and 25-Story RC Buildings with and without Shear Walls Designed with the Mexico City Building Code

Abstract

The inelastic seismic behavior of two reinforced concrete buildings of 15-story and 25-story is compared with and without shear-walls. The resistance-seismic design and vertical loads is made according to the requirements of the Mexico City Building Code, RCDF-2004, satisfying the limit states of service and resistance: compressible seismic area, group B. Inelastic dynamic seismic responses are determined with step-by-step analysis under SCT-EW-85 record with the nominal resistance and over-resistance effects. Results show the importance of the participation of the shear-walls to help to reduction of the magnitude of structural damages during severe seismic future events. The shear walls located in adequate form inside the structure provide an excellent additional lateral stiffness to solve the common flexibility problems in the soft soil zone of the Valley of Mexico and therefore to avoid severe additional torsion problems. In the shear wall constructions we should pay special attention to the foundation design. It was verified that the shear strengths of the structural elements selected were higher than the seismic demands. In the cases of over-strengths considered, it can be concluded that had a minor incursion in the interval of inelastic performance compared with the inelastic performance presented in the cases of nominal strengths.