SEISMIC DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SHEAR WALL

The basic structural elements of an earthquake-resistant building are diaphragms, vertical framing elements, and the foundation. In reinforced concrete buildings, the vertical elements are usually either moment-resisting frames or structural walls (sometimes referred to as shear walls). Special reinforced concrete structural walls are walls that have been proportioned and detailed to meet special code requirements for resisting combinations of shear, moment, and axial force that result as a building sways through multiple displacement cycles during strong earthquake ground shaking. Special proportioning and detailing requirements result in a wall capable of resisting strong earthquake shaking without unacceptable loss of stiffness or strength.