DEVELOPMENT OF A SHEAR WALL MODEL BASED ON A NEW FLAT SHELL ELEMENT FOR LARGE DEFORMATION SIMULATION AND APPLICATION IN OPENSEES

Numerical simulation is an effective method for investigating the earthquake-induced collapse mechanism of super-tall buildings. As one of the most important lateral-force resistant components, the shear walls usually exhibit complex mechanical behaviors and even fail with large deformation induced by structural collapse. Hence, a reliable numerical model which can consider large deformation is critical for the earthquake-induced collapse simulation. A high-performance quadrilateral shell element based on the theory of generalized conforming element, accounting for the geometric nonlinearity of large deformation using the updated Lagrangian formula, is herein proposed and implemented in an open-source software(i.e. OpenSees). The reliability of the element and associated algorithm for large deformation is initially validated through classic examples. Subsequently, simulation of various shear walls is conducted using the multi-layer section and the proposed shell element. Through a comparison with the experimental data, the reliability of the element is further validated in representing the complex mechanical behavior of shear walls, and the element is capable of capturing the key collapse characteristics of reinforced concrete components. The research outcome will assist in providing an effective tool for further investigation on the collapse mechanism of super-tall buildings using OpenSees.