Stochastic Analysis of RC Rectangular Shear Wall Considering Material Properties Uncertainty

It is widely acknowledged that concrete's mechanical properties exhibit some degree of uncertainty due to many factors (e.g., the mix proportion, placing, curing, etc.). Therefore, it is crucial to consider such uncertainty when assessing the performance of real-world engineering structures. So, the main objective of this study is to perform a series of probabilistic analyses on one of the critical structural components that is widely utilized in high-rise buildings which is a rectangular shear wall. The material properties uncertainty is represented by a random field generator based on covariance matrix decomposition incorporated with the Generalized F-discrepancy-based point selection strategy to efficiently generate the samples. The multi-axial concrete damage plasticity model combined with the multilayered shell element is adopted in the simulation of the shear wall. The stochastic analysis results revealed that the material spatial variability caused a random distribution of initial damages and the subsequent stochastic non-linear evolution. Moreover, the probability density evolution method (PDEM) is employed to perform the reliability assessment for the considered shear wall. The proposed framework could well capture the stochastic inelastic behavior of the considered shear wall and can be further implemented to capture the stochastic response and safety assessment of high-rise buildings.

Keywords: Random field, Stochastic analysis, Rectangular shear wall, PDEM, Reliability assessment.

Download PDF