NEESR-SG: Seismic Behavior, Analysis, and Design of Complex Wall Systems

A project sponsored by the National Science Foundation under the NEESR program

Project Research Team:
Laura N. Lowes, Assistant Professor, University of Washington
Dawn E. Lehman, Assistant Professor, University of Washington
Daniel A. Kuchma, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jian Zhang, Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles

Aaron Sterns, Graduate Student, University of Washington
Paul Øyen, Graduate Student, University of Washington
Jun Ji, Graduate Student, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Yuchuan Tang, Graduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles
 

Project Objectives:
The proposed research seeks to advance the understanding of, and simulation tools for, the seismic performance of slender walls through experimental and analytical investigations of wall systems with 1) configurations used in modern design, 2) load distributions that are representative of earthquake loading, 3) and consideration of soil-structure-interaction effects. The advanced experimental capabilities of the UIUC MUST-SIM NEES facility will be used to enable realistic simulation of these complex conditions. Instrumentation developed as part of the MUST-SIM facility makes possible high-resolution monitoring of test specimen displacement fields and such data are necessary to enable the proposed model development effort. These data will be used to advance the state-of-the-art for simulation of reinforced concrete structures through the development of fiber-shell elements that can be used to simulate the inelastic response, including localized damage mechanisms, of three-dimensional walls. Results of the proposed experimental investigation and parametric studies using the high-resolution numerical models will be used to advance the state-of-the-practice for design of wall systems including the development of elastic and simplified inelastic modeling techniques that are appropriate for use with commercial software. Additionally, experimental and simulation data will be used to develop performance-based design tools that account for modeling uncertainty and link engineering demand parameters and damage states.

Project Links:
UIUC MUST-SIM NEES Facility

Project Documents:
Demonstration Project for the UW College of Engineering Open House, April 2005.
Presentation by Lowes at ACI Spring Convention to ACI Committee 374
Presentation by Lowes for NEES informational webcast in December 2004
Questionnaire for Practicing Engineers (word document)