Seismic Performance of Existing New Zealand Shear Wall Structures

Abstract

Assessment of the structural performance of existing buildings requires a better understanding of seismic performance of the structural components designed according to different versions of design codes. This study provides a summary of the evolution of the reinforced concrete wall design provisions in New Zealand, and investigates their effect on seismic performance of structural walls. For this purpose, a typical rectangular wall is designed according to different versions of New Zealand concrete design standards, and a finite element approach is used for numerical simulation of the walls subject to cyclic loading. The modeling approach has been verified using experimental results of walls with different shear-span ratios which failed in different modes. Performance of the designed wall models is investigated in terms of failure pattern, drift capacity and displacement as well as curvature ductility. Seismic performance of the walls designed according to the previous versions of NZ design codes will provide a considerable contribution to better understanding of the wall capacity in seismic assessment of existing buildings.