Material Quantities of Reinforced Masonry versus Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls

Abstract

Shear wall system is a common seismic force resisting system that is used for both reinforced masonry (RM) and reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. RM shear walls can provide a considerable level of ductility like RC walls, especially for walls with boundary elements. The latest provisions of the Canadian Standard for Masonry allowed a higher level of ductility for RM shear walls based on their ductile response. This paper aims to estimate the quantities of construction materials required for RM shear walls compared to those of RC walls. Three multi-storey RM shear wall buildings with different heights located in three different cities in Canada were selected. 5-, 10-, and 15-storey buildings were located in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver cities which represent three different levels of seismic hazard. For each building’s height and location, the RM shear walls were designed with the level of ductility that results in the least construction material quantities. The analysis and design procedures were repeated for each case when RC material was used. The amount of construction materials used for the shear walls of each building was evaluated for both RM and RC cases and they were compared. Moreover, the cost of labour and temporary works for RM and RC shear walls was estimated and compared. The comparisons showed that RM shear wall construction can be as economic as the RC one for different walls’ ductility levels.