Simplified Design of Coupled Shear Wall Systems for Typical Building Configuration

Abstract

For many years, coupled shear wall systems have been used as an effective way of controlling lateral stability for high rise buildings. Shear walls have a large lateral stiffness compared to frame systems, and hence, they are often used where control of lateral displacement is imperative. General design objectives for coupled shear walls were summarized from the available literature. Four different configurations of coupling beams with aspect ratios of 2–4 were evaluated using SAP2000 software to obtain an approximate empirical relationship to estimate the degree of coupling of a coupled wall system for a typical four-story hotel-type structure. The proposed equation provides an accurate estimation of the degree of coupling. Using this empirical relationship, a simple procedure to incorporate coupling action into the instantaneous design of shear walls was outlined.