Squat Shear Walls - Shear Strength Calculation

Prepared by: Carlos A. Cruz Noguez -- April 28, 2011

Consider a squat shear wall, aspect ratio = h
w
/l
w
= 1.795m/2.5m = 0.72. Assume t
w
= 0.15m.
Data
Geometry Material properties
h
w
1.795m := fc 20MPa :=
fc [ ]
fc
1MPa
1 MPa :=
t
w
0.15m := f
yl
400MPa :=
fc [ ] 4.472 MPa =
l
w
2.5m := f
yh
400MPa :=
A
w
l
w
t
w
:= A
w
0.375 m
2
=
d
1
0.8 l
w
:= d
1
2 m =
A
h
h
w
t
w
:= A
h
0.269 m
2
=
length-to-thickness ratio:
l
w
t
w
16.7 = (slenderness)
height-to-length ratio:
h
w
l
w
0.718 =
Vertical Reinforcement
Reinforcement
A
sl
24
16mm ( )
2
4
:= (Rebar size: 15M)
A
sl
4825 mm
2
=
Transverse Reinforcement
A
sh
16
6.34mm ( )
2
4
:= A
sh
505 mm
2
= A
v
A
sh
8
:= Area of horizontal reinforcement
in each spacing s
s 225mm :=
h
w
s
8 = (Rebar size: 6.34mm-diameter wire)
Reinforcement ratios
percent value:

l
A
sl
A
w
:=
l
0.0129 = 100
l
1.287 = longitudinal reinforcement

h
A
sh
A
h
:=
h
0.0019 = 100
h
0.188 =
transverse reinforcement
ACI 318-05
The peak shear strength of squat reinforced concrete walls is calculated through two
semi-empirical equations, both based on the modified truss-analogy approach. Equation Set 1
is from Section 21.7 of ACI 318-05 (seismic design)
Coefficient
c
h
w
l
w
0.718 = then
c
0.25 := valid for h
w
/l
w
< 1.5 (Clause 21.7.4.1)
Equation 21-7
V
n

c
fc [ ]
h
f
yh
+
( )
A
w
:= V
n
700.663 kN =
V
n1
must not exceed the diagonal compression failure limit (Clause 21.7.4.5):
ComprFailureLimit 0.83 fc [ ] A
w
:= ComprFailureLimit 1391.952 kN =
V
n1
V
n
V
n
ComprFailureLimit if
ComprFailureLimit otherwise
:=
Thus, V
n1
700.663 kN =
Equation set 2 corresponds to the procedure to predict shear strength in Section 11.10 of ACI
318-05 (general design, special provisions for walls), and it is given by the following equations:
Concrete contribution is given by the lesser of Equations 11-29 and 11-30 from ACI 318-05:
Equation 11-29
N
u
0kN := M
u
2 kN m := V
u
1kN :=
M
u
V
u
h
w

1.114 = (Structural parameters

for cantilevered wall)
V
c1
0.27 fc [ ] t
w
d
1

N
u
d
1

4 l
w

+ := V
c1
362.243 kN =
Equation 11-30
Vc2 0.05 fc [ ]
l
w
0.1 fc [ ] 0.2
N
u
l
w
t
w

+
|

\
|
|

M
u
V
u
l
w
2

(
(
(
(
(
(

t
w
d
1
:= Vc2 514 kN =
Equation for V
c2
is applicable if
M
u
V
u
l
w
2
0.75 m = is greater than 0 OK.
CheckMuVu
M
u
V
u
l
w
2
:= V
c2
Vc2 CheckMuVu 0 if
1000000kN otherwise
:= V
c2
514 kN =
Contribution of the concrete will be the lesser of Equations 11-29 and 11-30:
V
c
min V
c1
V
c2
,
( )
:= Thus, V
c
362kN =
Steel contribution:
A
v
63.139 mm
2
= (Area of horizontal reinforcement within a spacing of s)
V
s
A
v
f
yh
d
1

s
:= V
s
224kN =
V
n2
V
c
V
s
+ := V
n2
587kN =
CSA A23.3-94 (simplified, using empirical modification for aspect ratio)
Concrete contribution (Wiradinata's method to take into account the aspect ratio of the wall):

Wiradinata
0.5
h
w
6 l
w

:=
Wiradinata
0.38 =
V
c

Wiradinata
0.9 l
w
t
w

( )
fc [ ] := V
c
574.055 kN =
Steel contribution: 45 := (conservative assumption)
V
s
A
v
f
yh
d
1

s
cot

180

\
|
|

:=
V
s
224.495 kN =
V
n5
V
c
V
s
+ :=
V
n5
798.549 kN =
Upper limit for shear strength 0.25 t
w
d
1
fc 1500 kN =
Wood (1990)
This simplified procedure was found to offer better correlation between predicted and experimental
shear wall strengths, compared to the equations for squat walls contained in the ACI 318-05 code
(Gulec et al, 2008).
According to Wood (1990), the peak shear strength of squat walls can be calculated according to
the following:
A
vf
A
sl
:= f
y2
f
yl
:= 0.498 fc [ ] A
w
835.171 kN =
0.83 fc [ ] A
w
1392 kN =
Vn3
A
vf
f
y2

4
:= Vn3 483kN =
Check limitations
V
n3
0.498 fc [ ] A
w
Vn3 0.498 fc [ ] A
w

( )
if
0.83 fc [ ] A
w
Vn3 0.83 fc [ ] A
w

( )
if
Vn3 otherwise
:=
Thus, V
n3
835.2 kN =
Sliding Shear Strength
A crack shall be assumed to occur along the shear plane and the relative displacement shall be
resisted by cohesion and friction in the shear friction reinforcement crossing the crack. The
factored shear stress resistance of the plane shall be computed according the following
equations.
CSA A23.3-04 Clause 11.5, Interface shear transfer
c 0.5MPa := 1.00 := cohesion and friction for concrete placed against hardened concrete
with a clean surface and intentionally roughened to the full amplitude of
at least 5 mm.
V
sl
c
A
sl
t
w
d
1

f
yl

N
u
t
w
l
w

+
|

\
|
|

(
(

A
w
:= V
sl
2600 kN =
UpperLimitSlidingShear 0.25 fc A
w
:= UpperLimitSlidingShear 1875 kN =
V
SlidingStrength
V
sl
V
sl
UpperLimitSlidingShear if
UpperLimitSlidingShear otherwise
:=
V
SlidingStrength
1875 kN =
Summary
Code provisions for Shear Calculated Shear
strength
ACI 318-05 seismic provisions V
n1
701kN =
ACI 318-05 V = V
c
+ V
s
V
n2
587kN =
CSA A23.3-94 V = V
c
+ V
s
V
n5
799kN =
Wood (1990) empirical V
n3
835kN =
Vshear 970kN :=
Vector2 shear strength
(using using
h
=0.2%)
Shear associated to flexural response
(Vector2, using
h
=1%)
V
flex
1025kN :=
Shear associated to flexural response
(sectional analysis)
Vflexural 960kN :=
V
SlidingStrength
1875 kN =
Sliding shear strength
Assessment
V
MaxShearStrength
max V
n1
V
n2
, V
n3
, V
n5
,
( )
:= V
MaxShearStrength
835 kN =
V
MinShearStrength
min V
n1
V
n2
, V
n3
, V
n5
,
( )
:= V
MinShearStrength
587 kN =
V
flex
V
MaxShearStrength
1.227 =
The wall is likely to fail in shear before it
reaches its flexural capacity.
V
flex
V
MinShearStrength
1.747 =
The sliding shear strength of the wall is far greater than the calculated shear or flexural strength,
so premature failure due to sliding is not likely to occur.
FRP contribution (one sheet per side)
Data from Fyfe Co.
d
v
0.9 l
w
:=
E
f
95800MPa :=
F
0.01 := t
F
0.25mm :=
f
F
0.25 E
f

F
:= f
F
239.5 MPa =
V
F
2 f
F
t
F
d
v
cot

180

\
|
|

:= V
F
269.438 kN =
One single layer per side is enough (970 + 270 = 1240kN > flexural capacity of the wall according
to Vector2) to promote ductile flexural failure.