Structural performance evaluation of R/C exterior/partition flat walls monolithically constructed in moment resisting frames

Abstract

This paper focuses on concrete buildings with earthquake-damaged exterior/partition flat walls. Aresidential building damaged by the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku was targeted for detailed investigations. Its partial one-bay frame model with a flat wall was designed, fabricated and tested to experimentally clarify the fundamental behavior. As a result, the flat wall significantly contributed to the seismic performance of overall frame until the wall failed in shear, then completely lost the effects. Such behavior was numerically evaluated by several analytical models. Consequently the Isoparametric element model could simulate the experimental results well.