Evaluating shear wall configurations for enhanced seismic performance in high-rise buildings

Civil Engineering Department, MNIT, Jaipur- 302017, India

^* Corresponding author: 2022rce9534@mnit.ac.in

Published online: 7 January 2026

Abstract

This study uses ETABS software’s sophisticated numerical modeling to investigate the seismic performance of multi-story reinforced concrete structures located in seismic zone 5. Three structural configurations, G+4, G+14, and G+24, with ground floor height 3.5 m & remaining floor height 3 m, were examined. Each was planned with four 5m spans in X & Y directions i.e. 20m x 20m square layout. Nonlinear direct integration time history analysis used in this study to assess dynamic structural reactions to seismic excitation. The study examined three different shear wall configurations: (1) Bare frame i.e. building without shear walls, (2) Building with shear walls at corner spans, and (3) Building with shear walls at the middle edges. Near field ground motion records from the Imperial Valley (IV) and Northridge (NR) earthquakes were used to generate seismic input, which included both parallel and normal elements. Important response parameters were measured to evaluate the impact of shear wall placement on seismic resilience, such as inter-story drift, and floor-wise displacement. In order to optimize structural design in high- seismic zones, the results provide important insights into the relative effectiveness of shear wall layouts in reducing seismic demands across structures of different heights.