Sub code- ECE 702

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Rev. No: 01
GITAM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

GITAM Deemed to br UNIVERSITY

Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam – 530 045 (AP)

ECE 702 Wind Analysis & Design of Tall Structures Shear Wall

Q) Design a shear wall of length 4.16m and thickness 250 mm subject to the the
following forces. Assume Fck = 25 and fy = 415 Mpa. The loadings on the wall are:

Loading Axial Force (kN) Moment (kNm) Shear (kN)

DL + LL 1950 600 20
Seismic Load 250 4800 700
Sol)

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Q) Write short notes on behaviour of coupled shear walls

Sol) Openings normally occur in vertical rows throughout the height of the wall
and the connection between wall cross-sections is provided either by connecting
beams which form part of the wall or floor slab or a combination of both. The
terms ‘coupled shear walls’, ‘pierced shear walls’ and ‘shear wall with openings’
are commonly described for such units.

If the openings are very small, their effect on the overall state of stress in the shear
wall is minimal. Large openings have a pronounced effect and if large enough
result in a system in which frame action predominates. The degree of coupling
between two walls separated by a row of openings has been expressed of

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geometric parameter α (having a unit of 1/length) which it gives a measure of
relative stiffness of beams with respect to that of walls. When αH exceeds 13, the
walls may be analysed as a single homogenous cantilever. When αH<0.8 the wall
may be analysed as the separate cantilever, 0.8<αH<13, the stiffness of
connecting beam must be considered.

b) Discuss about shear wall and boundary element in shear walls?

Sol) Shear wall is a structural member used to resist lateral forces i.e. parallel to
the plane of the wall. For slender walls where the bending deformation is more,
Shear wall resists the loads due to Cantilever Action. In other words, Shear walls
are vertical elements of the horizontal force resisting system.
In building construction, a rigid vertical diaphragm capable of transferring lateral
forces from exterior walls, floors, and roofs to the ground foundation in a direction
parallel to their planes. Examples are the reinforced-concrete wall. Lateral forces
caused by wind, earthquake, and uneven settlement loads, in addition to the
weight of structure and occupants, create powerful twisting (torsional) forces. This
leads to the failure of the structures by shear.
Shear walls are especially important in high-rise buildings subject to lateral wind
and seismic forces. Generally, shear walls are either plane or flanged in section,

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while core walls consist of channel sections. They also provide adequate strength
and stiffness to control lateral displacements.
The shape and plan position of the shear wall influences the behavior of the
structure considerably. Structurally, the best position for the shear walls is in the
center of each half of the building. This is rarely practical, since it also utilizes the
space a lot, so they are positioned at the ends. It is better to use walls with no
openings in them. So, usually, the walls around lift shafts and stairwells are used.
Also, walls on the sides of buildings that have no windows can be used.
Reinforcement Bars in RC Walls: Steel reinforcing bars are to be provided in walls
in regularly spaced vertical and horizontal grids. The vertical and horizontal
reinforcement in the wall can be placed in one or two parallel layers called
curtains. Horizontal reinforcement needs to be anchored at the ends of walls. The
minimum area of reinforcing steel to be provided is 0.0025 times the cross-
sectional area, along each of the horizontal and vertical directions. This vertical
reinforcement should be distributed uniformly across the wall cross-section.

Boundary Elements:
Under the large overturning effects caused by horizontal earthquake forces,
edges of shear walls experience high compressive and tensile stresses. To ensure
that shear walls behave in a ductile way, concrete in the wall end regions must
be reinforced in a special manner to sustain these load reversals without loosing
strength. End regions of a wall with increased confinement are called boundary
elements. This special confining transverse reinforcement in boundary elements is
similar to that provided in columns of RC frames. Sometimes, the thickness of the
shear wall in these boundary elements is also increased. RC walls with boundary
elements have substantially higher bending strength and horizontal shear force
carrying capacity, and are therefore less susceptible to earthquake damage
than walls without boundary elements.

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5 a) Explain different bracing systems with neat sketch?
Sol) A braced frame is a structural system, which is commonly used
in structures subject to lateral loads. The addition of a bracing frame increases
a structure's stability against lateral loads such as wind pressure and seismic
loading. The members in a braced frame are generally made of structural steel,
which can work effectively both in tension and compression.
The beams and columns that form the frame carry vertical loads, and the
bracing system carries the lateral loads. Braced frames reduce lateral
displacement, as well as the bending moment in columns, they are economical,
easily erected and have t

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