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Investigation on the seismic fragility of in-plane loaded low- and medium-rise rectangular RC structural walls

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Abstract

In this research, we investigate the seismic fragility of in-plane-loaded rectangular RC structural walls used as the main load-bearing elements for low- and medium-rise-reinforced concrete structures designed for the seismic conditions of Bucharest (Romania). The first step of the study involves the validation of the numerical modelling by using experimental data. Subsequently, the response of 81 structural walls subjected to in-plane loading is evaluated. Next, the seismic fragility of low- and medium-rise rectangular RC structural walls is evaluated using the results of all the numerical analyses. The results of the fragility analysis show that the median value of the maximum inter-story drift decreases with an increase in the structural wall thickness, while the variability of the results is similar. However, the out-of-plane displacements of the structural wall appear to increase with the thickness of the structural wall.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Dr. Trevor Hrynyk for providing the VecTor4 software used in the analyses performed in this paper, as well as for its guidance for performing the numerical analyses with the same code. In addition, wishes to thank Dr. Farhad Dashti for providing the load–displacement data for the three wall specimens analysed in Sect. 2 of the paper. The constructive comments from one anonymous Reviewer are appreciated as they have led to a much-improved revised manuscript.

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  1. Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Bd. Lacul Tei, No. 122-124, Sector 2, 020396, Bucharest, Romania

    Florin Pavel

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  1. Florin Pavel
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Correspondence to Florin Pavel.

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Pavel, F. Investigation on the seismic fragility of in-plane loaded low- and medium-rise rectangular RC structural walls. Asian J Civ Eng 21, 775–783 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42107-020-00238-y

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