The seismic resistant design of R/C coupled structural walls

Integrated analytical and experimental research on the seismic response of R/C structural wall-frame structures was conducted at U.C. Berkeley for the past decade. Recently considerable efforts were devoted to the study of the seismic behavior of coupled structural walls and their behavior in wall-frame structural systems. A survey of existing analytical and experimental work regarding the seismic response of R/C wall and coupled wall-frame systems, as well as relevant documented post-earthquake studies on these systems, are presented. An assessment of the states of the art and practice regarding the design of building structures incorporating these systems is included. Studies and design and fabrication of the required testing facility necessary for conducting the experimental investigation of seismic behavior of a 1/3-scale model of a 4 1/2-story coupled wall subassemblage belonging to a 15-story prototype structure, are described. Analytical studies of the seismic responses of the prototype buildings are summarized briefly.