Seismic Response of a Yielding Structure Coupled with a Rocking Wall

Abstract

This paper investigates the inelastic response of a yielding single-degree-of-freedom oscillator coupled with a rocking wall. Configurations of both a stepping rocking wall and a pinned rocking wall that have been reported in the literature are examined. The full nonlinear equations of motions are derived, and the paper shows that a stepping wall suppresses peak and permanent displacements, with the heavier wall being most effective. In contrast, when the yielding oscillator is coupled with a pinned rocking wall, both peak and permanent displacements increase, with the heavier wall being most unfavorable. This unfavorable response is mainly because the moment from the weight of the pinned wall works against stability, and in most cases, it contributes to larger permanent displacements.