Influence of shear wall layout on the seismic performance of an RC building

The seismic behavior of shear walls plays a crucial role in the overall structural response by enhancing lateral stiffness, strength, and energy dissipation capacity. This study investigates the influence of shear wall layout on the seismic performance of a 10-story reinforced concrete (RC) building. For this purpose, three models with perimeter shear walls, shear walls along the middle axes, and a core shear wall are designed in accordance with the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018). Nonlinear time-history analyses are conducted on these models using two approaches: (i) scaled ground motion records matching the design spectrum (Case-1) and (ii) the unscaled ground motion record from the Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) earthquake (Case-2). While all models satisfy the Controlled Damage (CD) performance level under Case-1, only the model with a core shear wall remains within this performance level under Case-2. Additionally, the models are assessed in terms of base shear, hysteretic energy dissipation, and top-story displacement demands. The study reveals that the model with a core shear wall exhibits better seismic performance than the other layouts, particularly under the Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) earthquake.