EXAMPLE 18-3 Structural Wall Subjected to Equivalent Lateral Earthquake Loads

The structural wall shown in Fig. 18-22 is to be analyzed for a combined gravity load and
equivalent lateral load due to earthquake ground motions. The dimensions of the wall and
the section reinforcement (Fig. 18-22b) are taken from a paper by Wallace and Thomsen
[18-25], in which the authors analyzed the need for special confinement reinforcement for
the boundary elements at the edges of the wall. The details for special confinement rein-
forcement will be discussed in Chapter 19.
This wall is one of several walls resisting lateral loads for the structure that was ana-
lyzed by Wallace and Thomsen [18-25]. The lateral earthquake force, E, assigned to this
wall is 920 KN. The dead and reduced live load at the base of the wall are N D = 4450 KN
and N L = 2000KN. Use fc’ =28 MPa (normal-weight concrete) and fy = 420 MPa for all
reinforcement.

1. Check Moment Strength at Base of Wall. ACI Code Eq. (9-7) will be used to
find the factored loads for this analysis.

U = 0.9D + 1.0E (ACI Eq. 9-7)

Seismic lateral loads, as defined in [18-18], typically have an inverted triangular distribution
over the height of the building. Therefore, we will assume that the variable x shown in Fig.
18-22a, which is taken as the assumed distance from the base of the wall to the centroid of
the lateral force, has a value of 2 3_ h w. Thus, the factored moment at the base of the wall is

2
Mu = 1.0 × 920 KN × × 37 m
=22700 KNm 3
The nominal moment strength of the wall will be analyzed by the procedure shown in
Fig. 18-17 for a wall with a vertical reinforcement concentrated in a boundary element. The
tension strength for the concentrated reinforcement is

(a). Wall Elevation. 1 2

T = As × fy = 10 × (
75 mm 4 at 150 mm
× π × 32
230 mm
) mm
8 at 200 × 420 MPa = 3377840.4
230 mm
75 mm N = 3378 KN
4 at 150 mm

75 mm
4
150 mm 305 mm
75 mm

75 mm

(b) Wall Section.

The distancedfrom
= lw –the
(75compression
mm + 2 × 150 mm)
edge = 7315
to the mm –of375
centroid the mm = 6940
tension mm
reinforcement is

Nu axial
The factored = 0.9ND
load= for
0.9 this
× 4450
loadKN = 4005
case is KN
= .

Now, we will use Eq. (18-32) to determine the depth of the compression stress block. In
3390 KN + 4005 KN
this case, b = h = 305 mm., giving
T + Nu
a= = 28 MPa = 1019 mm
0.85 F c ' b 0.85× 1000 ×305 mm
The distance to the neutral axis is, c = a/b 1 = 1019/0.85 = 1200 mm., which is well less
than 0.375d = 0.375 × 6940 mm = 2600 mm in. Therefore, this is a tension-controlled section,
and Ø = 0.9.
a lw−a
ØMn = Ø [ T ( d - ) + Nu ( )]
2 2
1019 7315−1019
= 0.9 [3390 KN ( 6935 - ) mm + 4005 KN ( ) mm ]
2 2
=0.9
Because [ 21782445
ØMn KNmm
exceeds Mu, the+wall
12607740 KNmmmoment
has adequate ] strength.
 2. Capacity-Based Design Shear. In seismic design, the design shear force, V u, is
not often based on the factored loads but rather on the probable flexural strength of the
member in question. This is referred to as the capacity-based design procedure and is in-
tended to ensure a ductile flexural response in the member—as opposed to a brittle shear
failure—if the member is loaded beyond its elastic range of behavior during an earthquake.
For the wall in this example, the probable flexural strength should be based on a
probable axial load that the wall will be carrying at the time of an earthquake. A value for
such an axial load is not defined in either the ACI Code or ASCE/SEI 7-10 [18-18]. The au-
thor will assume that a reasonable value for the probable axial load is the sum of the un-
factored dead load plus the unfactored reduced live load.

Npr = ND + NL = 4450 KN + 2000 KN = 6450 KN

With this axial load, the wall moment strength will be reevaluated and referred to as
the
probable moment strength, Mpr. First, the depth of the compression stress block is

T + Npr
a=
0.85 F c ' b
3390 KN +6450 KN
=
0.85× 28 MPa× 305 mm
=1356 mm
Although this is larger than calculated previously, it still is clear that the tension steel in the
boundary element will be yielding. Note, we do not need to show that this is a tension-
controlled section. We only need to show that this is an underreinforced section and
that
the tension steel will be yielding when the concrete in the compression zone reaches
the
maximum useable strain of 0.003. With this calculated value of a, we are now ready to cal-
culate the moment strength.

a lw−a
Mpr = T ( d- ) + Npr ( )]
2 2
1356 7315−1356
= 3390 KN (6935 - ) mm + 6450 KN ( ) mm ]
2 2
=40429005 KNmm = 40429 KNm
The final step is to find the lateral shear force required to develop this moment

at the
base of the wall. As originally discussed by Bertero et al. [18-26], the lateral load distribu-
tion over the height of a shear wall that is part of a complete structural system will tend to
be closer to a uniform distribution at peak response of the structure when it is subjected to
large earthquake motions. Therefore, to more conservatively predict the capacity-based
shear force acting on the wall when the base moment reaches M pr, the author recommends
using a value of x = 0.5h w in Fig. 18-22a. Using that value, the capacity-based design
shear is Mpr 40429 Knm
Vu (cap-based) = = = 2185 KN
0.5 hw 0.5 × 37 m
For this particular structural wall, the capacity-based design shear is approximately 2.5
times the design shear used to check the flexural strength
3. Check Shear Strength. Eq. (18-48), which is the same as ACI Code Eq. (21-7),
will be used to check the shear strength of the wall. For this wall, the value of A cv in that
equation is equal to the gross wall area, so

Acv = h × lw = 305 mm × 7315 mm = 22301075 mm2

 Because this is a slender wall, α c = 2.0. Also, because the wall is constructed with normal-
weight concrete, l = 1.0. Eq. (18-45b) will be used to determine Ρt for the distributed hor-
izontal reinforcement in Fig. 18-22b as

Ρt =
Av , horiz
=
2 ×200 mm2 = 0.00287
hs 2 305 mm× 457 mm
This is greater than the minimum required percentage of 0.0025 from ACI Code Section
11.9.9.2, and the 18-in. spacing satisfies the limits in ACI Code Section 11.9.9.3. Using the
values calculated here and units of pounds and inches, the nominal shear strength of the
wall from Eq. (18-48) is

Vn = Acv (αc λ √ Fc ' + Ρt Fy)

= 22301075 mm2 ( 2 ×1 × √28 + 0.00287 × 420 )
= 22301075 mm2 (0.8687 MPa + 1.2054 MPa)
= 46254659 N = 4625,4 KN

ACI Code Section 21.9.4.4 limits the value of Vn to 8 A cv 2 Fc ' = 7785 KN. Thus, we can
√
use the value calculated here. ACI Code Section 9.3.2.3 states that for shear and torsion,
Ø = 0.75. So, the reduced, nominal shear strength of the wall is

Vn = 0.75 ×4625.4 KN
= 3469 KN

Because ØVn > Vu (cap-based), the wall shear strength is o.k.

Thus, the 305 mm. thick structural wall with the indicated vertical and horizontal
reinforcement has adequate moment and shear strength, and the reinforcement satisfies
all of the ACI Code requirements.