EGN-5439 The Design of Tall Buildings

Lecture #26

Analysis of a Shear Wall

Find the shears and moments in a 20-story

building’s shear walls.

L. A. Prieto-Portar - 2008
 Shear wall.

This lecture’s problem is like this shear-wall at a building in Coral Gables (LeJeune and Valencia).
Find the shears and moments in the shear walls of a non-proportionate non-twisting
building.

The typical floor plan of a 20-story office building is shown on the next slide, and
the elevation of the building on the slide after that one.

Notice that the shear walls are oriented in the y-axis only to provide simplicity to the
problem. A real structure would have shear walls in both the x- and y-axes.

Walls #3 enclose the elevator and stair cores.

Notice that all the shear wall thicknesses are a function of their location along the
vertical portion of the building.

The wind pressure is assumed to be uniform for simplicity, at a value of 1.5 kN/m2
throughout the building’s height. Each floor is 3.5 m high and all floors have the
same height.
 Shear walls #1: 8 m long all the way up and with the following widths:
450 mm (0 to 21 m); 300 mm (21 to 45.5 m); 200 mm (45.5 to 70 m).
Shear walls #2: 7 m long (from 0 to 21 m); 5 m (from 21 to 70 m);
500 mm (0 to 21 m); 300 mm (21 to 45.5 m); 200 mm (45.5 to 70 m).
Shear walls #3: 6 m by 6 m long all the way up;
400 mm (0 to 21 m); 200 mm (21 to 70 m).

15 m

40 m
 Shear Wall #1:
8 m long all the way up. All
20 floors are 3.5 m high.
19
18 Shear wall thickness:
17 200 mm (45.5 to 70 m) for
16 floors 14 to 20.
15
14
13 Shear wall thickness:
12 300 mm (21 to 45.5 m) for
11 floors 7 to 13.
10
9
8
7 Shear wall thickness:
6 450 mm (0 to 21 m) for
5 floors 1 to 6.
4
3
2
1 Rigid mat foundation.
 Step 1. Determine the inertias Iij of each wall for each of the three vertical zones.
There are three walls in three different vertical zones (9 different values).
bh3 ( 0.45m)( 8m)
3

1) Wall #1 bottom 6 floors: I1, L = = = 19.2 m4

12 12
bh3 ( 0.30m)( 8m)
3

2) Wall #1 middle 7 floors: I1,M = = = 12.8 m4

12 12
bh3 ( 0.20m)( 8m)
3

3) Wall #1 upper 7 floors: I1,U = = = 8.5 m4

12 12
bh3 ( 0.50m)( 7m)
3

4) Wall #2 lower 6 floors: I 2, L = = = 14.3 m4

12 12
bh3 ( 0.30m)( 5m)
3

5) Wall #2 middle 7 floors: I 2,M = = = 3.1 m4

12 12
bh3 ( 0.20m)( 5m)
3

6) Wall #2 upper 7 floors: I 2,U = = = 2.1 m4

12 12
2 ( 0.40)( 6) 2 ( 5.2)( 0.4)
3 3
b1h13 b2 h23
+ 2 ( 2.8) ( 5.2) = 47.1 m4
2
7) Wall #3 lower 6 floors: I3,L = + + y22 A = +
12 12 12 12
2 ( 0.20)( 6) 2 ( 5.6)( 0.2)
3 3
b1h13 b2 h23
+ 2 ( 2.9) (1.12) = 26.0 m4
2
8) Wall #3 middle 7 floors: I3,M = + + y22 A = +
12 12 12 12
2 ( 0.20)( 6) 2 ( 5.6)( 0.2)
3 3
b1h13 b2h23
+ 2 ( 2.9) (1.12) = 26.0 m4
2
9) Wall #3 upper 7 floors: I3,U = + + y22 A = +
12 12 12 12
Step 2. Determine the ratios k and ρ of the inertias Iji of each wall.

Recall that the total external shear Qi and the total external moment Mi at the story
level i will be distributed between all the walls at that level in the ratio of their
flexural rigidities EI. The resulting shear and moment in any wall j at that level i is
given by,
Q ji ( EI ) ji ( EI ) ji
= or Q ji = Qi
Qi ( EI )i ( EI )i
and
M ji ( EI ) ji ( EI ) ji
= or M ji = M i
Mi ( EI )i ( EI )i
where (EI)ji is the flexural rigidity of the wall j at the level i, and
Σ(EI)i represents the summation of the flexural rigidities of all the walls at
level i.

Since the modulus of elasticity E is the same for all the walls, it is only required to
find the ratios of the moments of inertia Iji’s.
The ratio of the moments of inertia between two levels of a same shear wall is the parameter k.
Thus, k is the ratio of a particular wall’s stiffness on a specific floor, to the value of the stiffness of
that entire floor.
Therefore, the parameter k for each wall j at floor x is dependent of the inertias of the walls above
and below floor x. This is expressed as,

I xjabove I xjbelow
k xjabove = n
and k xjbelow = n
above
I xj I xjbelow
j =1 j =1

where Iaxj and Ibxj are the inertias of the wall j just above and just below the floor x. For example,
Wall #1 at the 14th floor, j = 1 and x = 14,

I xjabove 8.5
k xjabove = = k14-1
above
= = 0.36
20
8.5 + 2.1 + ( 0.5 )( 26.0 )
I xjabove
j =1

I xjbelow 12.8
k xjbelow = = k14-1
below
= = 0.44
20
12.8 + 3.1 + (0.5)(26.0)
I xjbelow
j =1
All the other values for all the other two shear walls (#2 and #3) at this transition floor
14 are also obtained in the same manner.

The change in the parameter k for Wall #1 at the 13 to 14th floor transition is,

∆k xj = ∆k14−1 = k xjbelow - k xjabove = ( 0.44 ) - ( 0.36 ) = 0.08

All the other k parameters are found for the this Wall #1, and then for Walls #2 and
#3. All the values of k are tabulated on slide #12 (along with other parameters we still
need to calculate).

Finally, a check can be made of k at each floor level through this relation,
above
k xj = k xjbelow = 1
The next ratio is which expands the value of k to the two floors at a transition of
stiffness (like the slab between the 13th and 14th floors). It is the stiffness of the floor
above (or below) to the combined stiffness of both floors. The ratio ρ is defined by
these two relations,
− I xjabove I xjbelow
ρ xjabove = and ρ xjbelow =
I xjabove + I xjbelow I xjabove + I xjbelow

For example, the value of ρ for Wall #1 at 14th floor slab is,

− I xjabove −8.5
ρ above
xj = =ρ above
14 −1 = = − 0.40
I above
xj +I below
xj 8.5 + 12.8
I xjbelow 12.8
ρ xjbelow = = ρ14below
−1 = = 0.60
I xjabove + I xjbelow 8.5 + 12.8
These values are checked at each floor by,

ρ xjabove + ρ xjbelow = 1 in this case 0.40 + 0.60 = 1 GOOD

Step 3. Determine the parameter α.

The value of the parameter α at each change of floor is defined by the relation,

n
αx = ρ xjabove ∆k xj
j =1

For example, for Wall #1 at 14th floor slab,

3
α14 = ρ14above
−1 ∆k14 −1 = ( −0.40)(0.08) + ( −0.40)(0.02) + ( −0.50)( −0.10) = 0.010
j =1
 Step 4. Determine the parameter β.

The parameter β is used to find the secondary moments that enter the shear wall. At
a transition level (of the stiffness) the value of β is given by the relations,

1
β xjabove =
1−αx
(
ρ xjabove ∆k xj − α x k xjabove ) and

1
β xjbelow =
1−αx
(
ρ xjbelow ∆k xj − α x k xjbelow )
For example, for Wall #1 at 14th floor slab,
1 1
β14above
−1 =
1 − α14
ρ (
above
14 −1 ∆k14 −1 − α k above
14 14 −1 = )
1 − 0.01
( −0.40 )( 0.08) − ( 0.01)( 0.36 ) = −0.036
1 1
β14below
−1 =
1 − α14
(
ρ14below
−1 ∆k14 −1 − α k below
14 14 −1 = )
1 − 0.01
( 0.60 )( 0.08) − ( 0.01)( 0.44 ) = 0.045
Step 5. Find the External Moments Mj on the Building at the Slab Level of j.
Consider the wind load on each floor level. The wind is assumed to be uniform over the entire height of the
building, with a pressure of 1.5 kN/m2. Translate this pressure to a uniform load w along the width of the
building (40 m). Consider only one half of the building (to simplify), therefore the w = ½ (1.5 kN/m2)(40 m) = 30
kN/m. For example, the external moments Mj = M14 straddling the transition floor 14, that is the moments at
floors 13, 14 and 15:
wL2 ( 30 kN / m ) (70 − 49.0)
2

M 15 = = = 6, 615 kN − m
2 2
wL2 ( 30 kN / m ) (70 − 45.5)
2

M 14 = = = 9, 004 kN − m
2 2
wL2 ( 30 kN / m ) (70 − 42.0)
2

M 13 = = = 11, 760 kN − m
2 2

w = 30 kN/m

L = 28.0 m
L = 24.5 m
L = 21.0 m

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Step 6. Determine the Primary Moments Mp on each wall j.

Using the external moments Mj obtained in Step 5, the primary moments Mp above and below each
level x, can be determined from,

− xj = k xj
M pabove p − xj = k xj
above
Mx and M below below
Mx
For example, the primary moments for wall #1 at level 14 are,
−14 −1 = k14 −1 M 14 = (0.36)(9, 004 kN − m) = 3, 240 kN − m
M pabove above

p −14 −1 = k14 −1 M 14 = (0.44)(9, 004 kN − m) = 3,960 kN − m

M below below

At other floor levels i, the primary moment M p is found from,

M p − xj = k xj M x
For example, for Wall #1 at the 15th and the 13th floors, the primary moments are,
M p −15−1 = k15−1M 15 = (0.36)(6, 615 kN − m) = 2,380 kN − m
M p −13−1 = k13−1M 13 = (0.44)(11, 760 kN − m) = 5,170 kN − m
Step 7. Determine the Secondary Moments Ms on each wall j.
The secondary moments Ms can be determined from,

M sabove
− xj = − β above
xj Mx and M sbelow
− xj = − β below
xj Mx

For example, for Wall #1 at the 14th floor slab level,

−14,1 = − β14,1 M 14 = −( −0.04)(9, 004 kN − m) = 324 kN − m
M sabove above

−14,1 = − β14,1 M 14 = − (0.05)(9, 004 kN − m) = −405 kN − m

M sbelow below

The secondary moments two levels above and below a transition slab level are given by,
M sabove
− x + 2, j = ( −0.268) 2
M above
s − xj

− x +1, j = ( −0.268) M s − xj
M sabove above

−−−−−−−−−−
− x −1, j = ( −0.268) M s − xj
M sbelow below

− x − 2, j = ( −0.268) M s − xj
M sbelow 2 below
For example, the secondary moments in Wall #1 at the slab level of floors 12, 13, 15 and
16 are,
−16,1 = ( −0.268) M s −16,1 = ( −0.268) (324 kN − m) = 23 kN − m
M sabove 2 above 2

M sabove
−15,1 = ( −0.268) M s −15,1 = ( −0.268)(324 kN − m) = −87 kN − m
above

−-------
−13,1 = ( −0.268) M s −13,1 = ( −0.268)( −405 kN − m) = 109 kN − m
M sbelow below

−12,1 = ( −0.268) M s −13,1 = ( −0.268) ( −405 kN − m) = 29 kN − m

M sbelow 2 below 2

Floors further above and below these can be analyzed using this progression.

Notice the rapidly diminishing values of the moments as we move away from the
transition 14th floor slab level.
 Step 8. Determine the Total Moments M on each wall j.
At Wall j at a transition level x, the total moment is the sum of the primary and secondary moments,
M total − xj = M pabove
− xj + M s − xj
above

A check to see if the results are correct ensue from,

M total − xj = M pbelow
− xj + M s − xj
below

For example, for Wall #1 at the 14 th floor slab level,

−14,1 + M s −14,1 = ( 3, 250 kN − m ) + ( 324 kN − m ) = 3,574 kN − m
M total −14,1 = M pabove above

and as a check,
−14,1 + M s −14,1 = ( 3,980 kN − m ) + ( −405 kN − m ) = 3,575 kN − m
M total − xj = M pbelow below

At any other floor level i for Wall j can be found by,

M total −ij = M p −ij + M s −ij

For example, Wall #1 at the slab level of the 15th floor,

M total −15,1 = M p −15,1 + M s −15,1 = ( 2,388 kN - m ) + (-0.268)(324 kN - m) = 2,301 kN - m
Step 9. Determine the Shear Q within a story-high region of a shear wall.

The shear Q is found as the difference in moments between the top and bottom of the
story being calculated, divided by the story height. For example, for Wall #1 at the 14th
floor slab level,

Q14−1 =
above
M 14,1 − M 15,1
above

=
( 3,574 kN − m ) − ( 2,301 kN − m )
= 364 kN
h 3.5 m

The values for the remaining 19 shears are left as an exercise.

This table provides all the moments for the 6 floors straddling the critical levels (floors 6, 7 and 8
plus floors 13, 14 and 15). The moments for the other 14 floors are left as an exercise.
This shear force
diagram for the
20-story office
building shows
abrupt changes
at the critical
floors 6-7 and
13-14.
Notice that the moment diagram is not as seriously affected by the dramatic exchange of force couples at the
critical levels (floors 6 to 7 and 13 to 14).
References:

1) “Tall Building Structures”, Smith B.S. and Coull A., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York,
1991.
2) “ETABS 3-D Analysis of Building Systems”, Computer and Structures, Inc., Berkeley, CA,
2001.
Daisies