Conceptual Seismic Design of Frame‐Wall Structures

Abstract

The states of the practice and art in seismic design of reinforced concrete dual frame‐wall structural systems are reviewed. The review leads to the need to emphasize the use of conceptual seismic design principles to overcome the high level of uncertainties involved in present numerical analyses of such systems. Therefore, the main issues and decisions confronted by the designer in achieving a conceptual seismic design are reviewed and exemplified by the results obtained in analytical and experimental studies of seismic responses of a 15‐story frame‐coupled wall structure and of a 7‐story frame‐wall structure. Observed shortcomings of the state‐of‐the‐practice, as represented by the seismic design building codes used in the U.S., are identified. Suggestions are offered to improve the states of the practice and art in the seismic design of this dual structural system.