Seismic Vulnerability of Rc Buildings by Considering the Effect of Shear Wall

Shear walls are often introduced in multistoried buildings to resist lateral forces when frame systems alone are insufficient. The term as used for elevator shafts, stairwells and central core units, in addition to plane walls. Analysis for lateral loads of buildings containing shear walls is generally carried out by assigning all lateral loads to the shear walls, since it was felt that the very big difference in stiffness between the shear walls and the frame would cause the shear walls to accept the total lateral loads. Adding structural walls is one of the most common structure-level retrofitting methods to strengthen existing structures. This approach is effective for controlling global lateral drifts and for reducing damage in frame members. Shear walls resist two types of forces, shear forces and uplift forces. Shear forces are generated in stationary buildings by accelerations result- ing from ground movement and by external forces like wind and waves. This action creates shear forces throughout the height of the wall between the top and bottom shear wall connections.