The modified substitute structure method as a design aid for seismic resistant coupled structural walls

• Main Author: Metten, Andrew W. F.
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22788

The modified substitute structure method is presented as a design aid which evaluates ductility requirements and deflections to determine the suitability of a reinforced concrete structural wall to withstand an anticipated siesmic disturbance. The procedure is analogous to elastic modal analysis but is an iterative technique which takes account of the stiffness loss of those members attempting to carry moments in .excess of their ultimate moment capacity. Unlike the elastic modal analysis procedure, the method is capable of predicting the ductility demand in individual members of a given strength. This is the appropriate form of the problem for coupled walls. The modified substitute structure method is applied through a computer program and the testing of this program is described. The effectiveness of the method for predicting ductlity demands and other parameters relating to structures undergoing inelasic behavior is evaluated by comparision with results obtained from the time step analysis program DRAIN-2D. The modified substitute structure method is a procedure which is inexpensive to use and could be applied easily in a non-research design environment. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Civil Engineering, Department of === Graduate