Numerical evaluation of the seismic performance of thin reinforced concrete wall buildings representative of the industrialized building system

Peter Thomson,Gilberto Areiza,Roger Ortega,Johannio Marulanda,Alejandro Cruz,Eduar Cuesvas

doi:10.1590/1679-78256759

Peter Thomson, Gilberto Areiza + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-78256759

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Abstract

The industrialized building system has specific characteristics that set it apart from the conventional concrete wall system, namely, a reduced wall thickness, the use of electro-welded wire mesh, and a lack of boundary element confinement. These conditions have attracted the interest of researchers, who have developed various experimental programs to evaluate the behavior of these walls. However, evidence on the seismic performance of buildings remains scarce. In this study, the performance of 5-, 8- and 12-story buildings was evaluated by nonlinear chronological analysis. Numerical models were constructed using the Shell Layered element of the ETABS software and adjusted based on the results from tests of isolated walls and the periods of one of the buildings identified in an ambient vibration test. The findings suggest that these buildings may fail to meet the life safety performance level in high seismic hazard areas.

Highlights

The industrialized building system of thin reinforced concrete wall (TRCW) buildings is one of the most used housing construction methods in Colombia and other Latin American countries (DANE, 2021; Gonzales & López-Almansa, 2012)
This method consists of determining if the structural performance of a building in its current state meets the minimum requirements established in the standard in terms of the ratio between demand and capacity (D/C) when subjected to seismic events
FlexI is defined as the ratio between deflections or drifts and the corresponding limit allowed by NSR-10

Summary

Introduction

The industrialized building system of thin reinforced concrete wall (TRCW) buildings is one of the most used housing construction methods in Colombia and other Latin American countries (DANE, 2021; Gonzales & López-Almansa, 2012). This structural system consists of cast-in-place concrete walls and floor slabs that are usually poured monolithically. In Colombia, in recent years, a large number of low- and medium-rise buildings with these characteristics have been constructed in high and intermediate seismic hazard areas because the Colombian Code for Earthquake-Resistant Construction NSR-10 (AIS, 2010) does not specify the minimum thickness of walls and their boundary elements or restrict the use of electrowelded wire mesh

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