Abstract:

The response modification factor is introduced to evaluate the seismic capacities of the reinforced con-crete(RC)shear walls of tall buildings,and to quantitatively articulate the seismic fortification measures pre-scribed by the China codes. The overstrength and ductility factors of an independent rectangular cantilever shear wall are also analyzed and calculated. Thus,the response modification factors for the shear walls with different seis-mic grades are determined,which are then compared with the ground motion ratio of the moderate intensity earth-quake to the frequently occurring earthquake. The results show that the seismic grade,the aspect ratio,the axial compression ratio and the wall length are the main variables affecting the seismic capacity,and that the aspect ratio should be limited to insure the seismic capacity. The limitation of aspect ratio and the corresponding design sugges-tions are finally proposed for the shear walls with different seismic grades.

Key words: tall building, reinforced concrete structure, shear wall, response modification factor