Coupling-beam effect on the seismic responses of three dimensional RC wall-type building structures

The residential reinforced concrete (RC) box-type wall structural system in Korea is unique around the world and the seismic performance of these structures has been investigated with due interest, neither in Korea nor abroad. In this study, the coupling-beam effect on the seismic response of these wall-type buildings are investigated from the experimental and analytical results of RC shear wall subassemblages and a 10-story walltype RC building model. The following conclusions are drawn from analytical investigations: (1) the failure modes of the box-type wall structures indicate that the walls were mainly subjected to the flexural bending as well as to the membrane action. The membrane action in tension and compression due to coupling effect can increase significantly the capacity of the overturning moment. And, (2) the model, which ignores the flexural rigidity of the coupling beam and slab, the natural period, initial stiffness, and maximum strength representing the global responses are considerably lower than those of the models with coupling beam and slab.