Numerical analysis of reinforced concrete earthquake-resistant complex cross sections

The European standard EN 1998-1 for the design of earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete structures does not provide direct expressions for the design of reinforced concrete cores as unique complex cross-sections in building structures, which consist of two or more walls in both directions of the building, such as hollow rectangular or square cross-sections or the even more complex case of multiple connected cores in tall buildings. The standard provides design guidelines with expressions for proving local ductility for individual walls in a plane (rectangular, L, I cross-section of the wall). Numerical analysis in the computer program BIAXIAL PRO ver.3.0 has shown the possibility of designing a complex cross-section of a reinforced concrete core, which provides a more realistic insight into the behavior of such a structures. The bending resistance and ductility were analyzed in accordance with the requirements of EN 1998-1. The advantage of such a design analysis approach compared to the traditional way of observing the walls in each plane separately is highlighted. Keywords: EN 1998-1, reinforced concrete wall, concrete core, complex cross-section, load-bearing capacity, ductility