Effect of vertical location of post-opening on seismic behaviour of RC shear wall: Experimental and numerical analysis

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls with post-openings is critical in civil engineering. This study investigates the influence of post-opening positions on the seismic behaviour of RC shear walls through both experimental and numerical approaches. Four shear wall specimens with varying positions of post-openings were subjected to pseudo-static tests. Additionally, Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations were employed to further analyse the structural responses of shear walls with post-openings. The results show that the vertical position of post-openings significantly affects the failure mode, peak bearing capacity, and overall seismic performance. Peak bearing capacity reductions were observed, with central and bottom openings diminishing capacity by up to 17.5% and 15.1 %, respectively, while top openings had a minimal impact. Openings also influenced pre-crack initiation, yielding behaviour, and stiffness degradation, with central openings causing the most significant effects. The ductility and energy dissipation capacities of the shear walls were also affected by opening positions. Bottom post- openings led to a maximum ductility reduction of 18.4%, while top openings increased ductility by up to 24.6 %. Energy dissipation capacity decreased with lower post-opening locations, with central and bottom openings reducing capacity by 78.9% and 63.0%, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of considering opening location in the seismic design of RC shear walls to optimize structural performance.