An innovative reinforced concrete grid wall system was tested under in-plane and out-of-plane loading to validate its use as a structural element, especially in areas of high seismic activity. The wall system consists of an interior reinforced concrete grid, contained within stay-in-place low density concrete forms. Besides ease of construction, these forms provide thermal and sound insulation in the final structure, as well as a high fire rating. Full-scale experimental tests were conducted on a variety of wall configurations to simulate earthquake, wind, and gravity loading.

This paper addresses the finite element modeling of the wall systems. For shear walls, solid elements were used to model the concrete and truss elements were employed to model the steel. In modeling walls under bending, a composite shell element comprised of layers of concrete and smeared layers of steel was used. The finite element modeling of the grid wall system under the different loading conditions has confirmed the experimental findings. Comparison between the finite element output and the experimental results was undertaken in terms of peak loads, load-displacement envelopes, and failure mechanisms. Good correlation was found between analysis and experimental results up to peak loads. The calibrated theoretical models were used to perform parametric studies in order to develop design criteria for the new construction system.

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