Seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete frames with steel-plate shear walls

This paper describes an investigation carried out on the behaviour of buildings with a dual lateral load-resisting system, comprising a reinforced concrete (RC) moment frame and steel plate shear walls (SPSW), subject to near-fault (NF) and far-fault (FF) earthquakes. Experimental validation of a one-bay, three-storey, RC frame with SPSWs was done using structural analysis software. The seismic performance of four buildings with various numbers of storeys was then compared using finite-element software. The non-linear dynamic behaviour of the four building was also modelled. Based on the results, it was found that the standard seismic design spectrum defined by Iranian Code of Practice for Seismic Resistant Design of Buildings does not satisfy all structural demands developed by NF earthquakes. The spectrum should be modified, especially for areas near active faults. The results also revealed that the impact of FF earthquakes on low-to mid-rise structures is more profound compared to that of NF earthquakes. Conversely, it was also found that NF earthquakes have greater impacts on taller buildings than that of the FF motions.