Karan Singh
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
Shear walls play a critical role in enhancing the lateral load resistance capacity of reinforced concrete and masonry structures subjected to seismic and wind forces. This manuscript investigates the structural behavior of shear walls under lateral loads, emphasizing their stiffness, strength, ductility, and failure mechanisms. Various types of shear walls, including cantilever, coupled, and slender walls, are analyzed through experimental studies and numerical simulations reflecting the state-of-the-art understanding up to 2019. The study integrates factors influencing shear wall performance, such as aspect ratio, boundary conditions, reinforcement detailing, and loading protocols. Results indicate that optimized reinforcement and wall geometry significantly improve lateral load capacity and ductility. The findings reinforce design recommendations for shear walls to ensure structural safety and serviceability under lateral loads in accordance with prevailing engineering codes.
Keywords
Shear walls, lateral loads, seismic resistance, reinforced concrete, structural behavior, ductility, stiffness.
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