EAPSI: Numerical Modeling of Low-Rise Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls with High-Strength Materials

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Recent earthquakes (e.g., Northridge 1994, Chile 2010) are reminders that there is still much research to be done on the seismic design of building structures. In many low-rise reinforced concrete (RC) structures, common in residential and nuclear-safety related applications), the primary lateral load resisting systems against earthquakes are shear walls. It would be possible to increase the efficiency of low-rise shear walls by using high-strength steel reinforcement and high-strength concrete. However, due to lack of research and testing, high-strength reinforcement in most applications is not yet accepted by the American Concrete Institute building codes. The aim of this research is to better understand the behavior of low-rise RC shear walls with high-strength materials. The project will be conducted at the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, with host researcher, Prof. Toshimi Kabeyasawa. The results of the research have the potential to not only cut construction costs but also improve the resistance and reliability of these structures under seismic hazards. Due to their low height-to-length aspect ratio (smaller than 2:1), the failure of low-rise RC walls is dominated by shear, which is non-ductile and strength governed. This failure mechanism matches the material properties of high-strength reinforcement and high-strength concrete, which provide higher resistance utilizing less material. The principal investigator will perform pre- and post-test detailed numerical analyses of experimental wall specimens, which are being tested at the University of Notre Dame as part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Numerical modeling techniques from the U.S. as well as those developed in Japan will be implemented and compared. The results of the study will be integral for the design of subsequent experimental wall test specimen parameters, such as reinforcement grade, reinforcement ratio, concrete compressive strength, and moment-to-shear ratio. This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.