The static analysis of multi-bay coupled shear walls

Abstract

The conventional continuum method for the analysis of multi-bay coupled shear walls is quite a complicated process. The shear forces in the lintel beams are taken as the basic unknowns and a set of ordinary differential equations has to be solved. A simple but general method for the analysis of multi-bay coupled shear walls is presented in this paper. The continuum technique is still adopted, however in this case the generalized axial forces in the walls are taken as basic unknowns, and the solutions are obtained in a form of finite series. The advantage of this approach is that simplified solution in closed form can be deduced by taking only the first few terms in the series. Comparison of the results with the finite strip method shows good agreement. © 1984.