Modeling approaches suitable for pushover analyses of RC structural wall buildings

In the current paper the seismic performance of a regular multi-storey precast reinforced concrete structural wall building vertically connected with ordinary reinforcement is investigated. The structural walls have different cross section shapes (rectangular, “U”, “L” and “C”). Some of the construction details of the structural joints connecting the precast walls horizontally and vertically are briefly described. Different modeling approaches for pushover analyses, from lower to higher levels of accuracy, have been applied in order to investigate the applicability of the calculation methods adopted to the study of buildings having non-rectangular structural walls. In particular the building has been analyzed with a shell model, implemented by the authors and denoted PARC model, a fiber-element model and a lumped-plasticity model, implemented by the authors and denoted LPA. The results obtained with the three models in terms of seismic response of the building proved to be consistent to each other. Hence, for this particular case, the lumped plasticity model presented, that can be simply applicable in the daily design practice, gave reliable results.