Nonlinear finite element dynamic analysis of squat shear wall with openings

Abstract

Shear wall has been considered as a major lateral load-resisting element inmultistoried building located in wind- or earthquake-prone zone. The behavior ofshear wall under various loading conditions has been the subject of intenseresearch for the last few decades. The behavior of shear walls without openingsis completely well understood and well documented in literature. The use ofsquat shear wall has been found in many low-rise buildings. On the other hand,squat shear walls may also be provided with openings due to the functionalrequirement such as placement of doors/windows in the building. The size andlocation of the opening play a significant role in the response of the shearwall. Even though it is intuitively known that the size of opening hassignificant effects on the behavior of a shear wall, it is desirable to know thelimiting size of opening in the shear wall, beyond which the shear walls mayfail or become unserviceable, especially when subjected to severe earthquakeground motions. In this study, the materially nonlinear dynamic response of theshear wall, with and without openings for different damping ratios, subjected toEL Centro earthquake has been captured. For dynamic analysis, constantacceleration Newmark β method of direct time integration has been used.From the study, it was observed that the presence of opening results in severedisplacements and stresses on the shear wall and also results in stressconcentration near the opening tip. Hence, the presence of damping has beenconsidered to be vital for large opening under severe dynamic loadingconditions.