CLE310 Design of Concrete Structures

Design of Shear Walls

K Karthikeyan
Introduction
Shear Walls are specially designed structural walls adapted in
buildings to resist lateral forces from wind, earthquakes
Generally made of concrete or brick, provided between
columns, stairwells, lift wells, toilets, utility shafts, etc.
Suggested for tall buildings with flat slabs
In planning shear walls, try to reduce bending tensile stresses
due to lateral loads as much as possible by loading them with as
much gravity forces as it can take safe
Normally placed symmetrically to avoid torsional stresses
Shear walls should be designed for ductility to resist
earthquakes
Shear Walls
Placing of Shear Walls
Shapes of Shear Walls
Classification of Shear Walls
Simple rectangular type and flanged walls
Coupled shear walls
Rigid frame shear walls
Framed walls with in-filled frames
Column supported shear walls
Core type shear walls
Classification of Shear Walls
Simple rectangular type and flanged walls
bar bell type with boundary elements placed in between
columns
Resist in plane vertical and horizontal shear forces and are
subjected to shear and bending
Simple shear walls: steel is uniformly distributed
Bar bell type: minimum steel in web part and remaining steel in
boundary elements
Bar bell type walls have better ductility
Should be designed for failing in bending rather than shear
Attracts more forces as they are very rigid and dissipate energy
through cracking, so repair becomes difficult
Coupled Shear walls
Two shear walls joined together by spandrel beams, resulting in
increased stiffness, dissipates more energy by yielding of
spandrel beams with no damage to walls
designed to develop hinges in the beam before shear failure
Coupling beam designed to have good energy dissipation
characteristics
Beams are displaced vertically, bend in double curvature under
lateral loads
Reaction, N = (2Mp / Lb) * no of hinges
Diagonal steel is provided in the spandrel beam to increase
shear capacity
Coupled Shear Walls
Rigid frame shear walls
Combination of rigid frame with shear walls
Deflection of frame is in shear mode whereas that of the shear
wall is in bending, this interaction reduces the moments but
increases shear in shear walls
So the shear walls have to be designed to take the increased
shears
Framed walls with in-filled frames
Framed walls are casted monolithically
In-filled shear walls: frames are constructed first and then in-
filled by blocks, masonry etc.

Column supported shear walls

Due to architectural reasons, walls may be discontinued at floor
level, but the wall is carried to the ground using widely spaced
columns
Discontinuity in the walls should be taken care in design and
detailing
Core type shear walls
Elevators and other service areas can be grouped in a vertical
core and can serve to resist lateral loads
Unsymmetrical positioning produces twisting and if twisting is
absent, it acts like a simple shear wall
Cores with designed lintels at regular intervals has good
resistance to torsion, ex. Lift shaft
Classification According to Behavior
Shear Shear walls:
deflection & strength controlled by shear
low rise shear walls
Ordinary moment shear wall:
deflection & strength controlled by flexure
high rise shear walls which used resist wind and cyclones
Ductile moment shear wall:
special walls meant for seismic regions
have good energy dissipation characteristics under reverse
cyclic loadings
Lateral stiffness (K): force required to be applied at its top in
order to produce a unit displacement

Centre of rigidity: point on the horizontal plane through which

the lateral load should pass in order that there will no rigid body
rotation ie. Point at which the resultant of the restoring forces of
the system acts
xr = (Ki xi) / Ki yr = (Ki yi) / Ki

Centre of mass: point where entire mass of the system is

concentrated
x = (mi xi) / mi y = (mi yi) / mi
Principle of Shear Wall Analysis
Assume all lateral forces are resisted by shear walls with no
participation from frames (analysis becomes easier)
Without any torsion, the load is taken by each wall in
proportion to its stiffness
If EL = earthquake load and F1, F2,F3, forces on each shear
walls, then
EL = F1 + F2 +F3 +.
If is displacement at top & K is stiffness of wall then,
F1 = K1
K1 + K2 + K3 + = EL
= EL / (K1+K2+K3+)
F = K1 = (K1/K) EL
Stiffness of Shear Walls
1 bending = WH3 / 3EI (cantilever action)
2 shear = WH / CAG
3 rocking on foundation = WH2 / R

C = shape factor (0.8 for rectangular)

W = load applied,
G = E / 2(1+) ( = 0.22)
R = modulus*BL3/12

Total Deflection, = 1 + 2 + 3

Lateral stiffness K = W/
Design Steps of Rectangular Shear Walls
General dimensions
Vertical & horizontal reinforcements
Shear strength requirements
Adequacy for boundary elements
Flexural strength
Development length & anchorage
Openings in shear walls
Discontinuity in shear walls
Shear strength of construction joints
General Dimensions of Rectangular Walls
IS 13920: 1993
Thickness: not less than 150mm
If flanged wall, the effective extension of the flange beyond the
face of web:
distance to an adjacent shear wall web
1/10th of total wall height
Actual width
Extreme fibre compressive stresses due to all loads exceed
0.2fck, boundary elements are to be provided along the edges of
the wall specially enlarged and strengthened by longitudinal
and transverse steel as in columns. These boundary elements
can be discontinued when stresses are less than 0.15fck
Vertical & Horizontal Reinforcements
Provide reinforcements in two orthogonal directions in the
plane of wall
Minimum steel required is 0.25%
When shear stress exceeds 0.25fck or thickness > 200mm,
steel shall be provided in two mats (one on each face)
not greater than 1/10th of wall thickness
Max. spacing not greater than L/5 or 3t or 450mm
Vertical steel provided for shear shall be less than horizontal
steel
Shear Strength Requirements
v = Vu / td
d = effective width (0.8 for rectangular walls)
Calculate c & v should not exceed c,max
Vus = (v c)td
Vus = (0.87 fy Asv d) / Sv

Adequacy of Boundary Elements

P = gravity loads + (Mu Muv)/c
c = c/c distance b/w boundary elements
Muv = Moment of resistance of web portion
Flexural Strength
Case i: x/L < xb/L
Mu/fcktL2= (1+ /)(0.5-(0.42 x/L))
(x/L)2 (0.168+2/3)
where
= (0.87fy) / fck
= Pw / (fcktL)
x/L = ( + ) / (0.36 + 2)
= (0.87fy) / 0.0035Es

when x/L < 0.5, neglecting smaller quantities,

Mu = (1+ /)(0.5-(0.42 x/L))
Flexural Strength
Case ii: x/L > xb/L
Mu/fcktL = 1(x/L) + 2(x/L) + 3(x/L)

Where
1 = 0.36 + (1 (/2) (1/2))
2 = 0.15 + (/2)(1 - (2/2) (1/3))
3 = (/6)((L/x) 3)
Example 1: Design of Shear Wall
Design a simple shear wall of length 4.16m and thickness 250mm
subject to the following forces (shown in table). Use M25 grade
concrete and Fe415 steel. The wall is a high wall.

Axial Load Moment Shear force

Load Case
(kN) (kNm) (kN)
DL + LL 1950 600 20
Seismic Load 250 4800 700
Step 1: Design Loads
Load Combinations (Table 18, IS 456 & Cl. 9.4.3, IS 13920)
0.8 (DL+IL) + 1.2 EQ for axial loads
1.2 (DL+IL) + 1.2 EQ for axial and lateral loads

Case 1:
P1 = (0.8 * 1950) + (1.2 * 250) = 1860 kN

Case 2:
P2 = (1.2 * 1950) + (1.2 * 250) = 2640 kN
Moment, Mu = 1.2 * (4800 + 600) = 6480 kNm
Shear, Vu = 1.2 * (700 + 20) = 864 kN
Step 2: Check for need of boundary element
Assuming a thickness of wall as 250 mm

I = bd3/12 = 250 * 41603 / 12 = 1.5 x 1012 mm4

A = bd = 250 * 4160 = 1.04 x 106 mm2

fc = P/A M/Z = (26,40,000 / 1.04 x 106)

[(6480 x 106 x 4160) / (2 x 1.5 x 1012)]
fc,max = 11.52 N/mm2
fc,min = -6.45 N/mm2
fc,allow = 0.2 * 25 = 5 N/mm2 (Cl. 9.4.1, IS 13920)

fc,max > fc,allow, boundary elements have to be provided

Adopt a bar bell type wall with two enlarged ends of size, 500
mm x 500 mm and the central part as 3160 mm
Step 3: Layers of steel provided
Depth of the section resisting shear = 3160 + 500 = 3660
mm
Shear stress, v = Vu / bd = 864000 / (250 * 3660)
= 0.94 N/mm2
Limiting shear stress = 0.25fck = 1.25 N/mm2

v < v,limit, and thickness > 200 mm, so steel has to be

provided in two layers (both faces)
Step 4: Steel Required
Min. steel = 0.0025 Ag = =.0025 * 1000 * 250 = 625 mm2
Steel in one layer = 312.5 mm2
Assuming #10 mm bars, spacing = 251.2 mm
Max spacing = minimum of (L/5 or 3b or 450 mm )
= (3160 / 5) or (3 * 250) or 450 = 450 mm

Provide #10 mm bars at 250 mm c/c on both faces

horizontally and vertically
Ast provided = 628 mm2
Pt = 0.25
Step 5: Shear taken by steel
Pt,provided = 0.25,
c = 0.36 N/mm2
c,max = 3.1 N/mm2
Vus = (v c) bd = (0.94 0.36) * 250 * 1000 = 145 kN
Vus = 0.87 fy Asv d / Sv
Asv / Sv = 145000 / (0.87 * 415 * 1000) = 0.4
Provided Asv / Sv per metre from min. steel
Asv / Sv = 628 / 1000 = 0.628
Minimum Steel provided satisfies shear requirements
Step 6: Flexural Capacity of web
P1 = 1860 kN (min. downward force)
Load on web Pw = Load * Web area / Total area
= (1860 * 3160 * 250) / [(3160 * 250) + (2*5002)]
= 1139 kN

= Pu / fck tw lw = 1139000 / (25 * 250 * 3160) = 0.0576

= 0.87 fy / fck = 0.87 * 415 * 0.25 / 25 = 0.036
= 0.87 fy / 0.0035 Es = (0.87 * 415) / (0.0035 * 2 x 105)
= 0.515
xu / lw = ( + ) / (2 + 0.36)
= ( 0.036 + 0.0576) / [(2 *0.036) + 0.36]
= 0.216

Xu* / lw =0.0035 / (0.0035 + 0.87fy/Es) = 0.66

Muv = 0.038 * fck tw lw2

= 0.038 * 25 * 250 * 31602
= 2371.58 kNm
Step 7: Force on boundary elements
Moments on B E = 6480 - 2371.58 = 4108.42 kNm
Equivalent Axial load = 4108.42 / 3.66 = 1123 kN
Compression load from vertical loads (max. downward force)
Load on boundary element = Load * B E / Total area
= (2640 * 5002) / [(3160 * 250) + (2*5002)] = 512 kN
Total Load on BE in comp. = 1123 + 512 = 1635 kN
Tension load from vertical loads (min. downward force)
Load on boundary element = Load * B E / Total area
= (1860 * 5002) / [(3160 * 250) + (2*5002)] = 360 kN
Total Load on BE in tension = -1122.52 + 360 = 763 kN
Step 8: Design of Boundary Elements
Design the BE as a short column,
Pu = 0.4fckAg + (0.67fy 0.4fck)Asc
Assuming pc = 0.8% (minimum pc)
Asc = 0.008 * 500 * 500 = 2000 mm2
Pu = (0.4 * 25 * 5002) + [((0.67 * 415) (0.4 * 25)) * 2000 ]
Pu = 3036 kN > 1123 kN, Safe

Same steel will be provided on both the boundary elements.

Provide 8 no of #20 mm bars.
Special Confining Reinforcement
Cl. 7.4.8, IS 13920: 1993
Ash = 0.18 S h (fck / fy) [(Ag/Ak) 1)
h = 500 (2 * 40) = 420 mm
Introducing a cross tie as h exceeds, 300 mm
h = 420 /2 = 210 mm
s = 0.25*b or 100 mm = 500/4 or 100 = 100 mm
Ak = 4202 = 176400 mm2
Ash = 0.18*100*210*(25/415)*[(250000/176400)-1]
Ash = 95 mm2
Provide #12 mm @ 100 mm c/c as special confining R/f.
Detailing of Shear Wall
Example 2: Lateral Stiffness of Shear Wall
A bar bell type shear wall with central core part 3600mm x
150 mm and two 400 mm x 400 mm strong bands at each
end. It is supported on a footing of size 8 m x 4 m, which rests
on soil whose modulus is 30,000 kN/m^3. Determine Lateral
Stiffness of the wall. Assume M25 grade concrete and wall
height as 14 m.
References
S Unnikrishna Pillai and Devdas Menon (2003), Reinforced
Concrete Design, Tata Mcgraw Hill Publication
N Subramanian (2013), Design of Reinforced Concrete
Structures, Oxford University Press
P C Varghese (2005), Advanced Reinforced Concrete
Design, Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd. 2nd Edition