Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
(OP)
I need to design an addition to an existing CMU structure in SDC D. The building was constructed in 1991 and has reinforcing consistent with an intermediate masonry shear wall. Per the ASCE 7-05 I have to use special reinforced masonry shear walls for SDC D. The existing wall I will be adding onto has plenty of capacity for the existing plus new seismic loads, even if I use the R value for intermediate reinforced shear walls. Can I use the existing wall to take the seismic loads from the addition? It seems like a waste of the client's money to have to build a new wall next to the existing wall or retrofit the existing wall.






RE: Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
I would think about what a retrofit might entail.
RE: Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
RE: Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
In regards to the R value for the new wall design, I would design for the lowest R as required in the horizontal combinations of lateral elements in ASCE 7. In order to justify a higher R value the existing wall would need to have deformation compatibility to accommodate the higher displacements and ductility which it does not have.
RE: Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D
RE: Existing Intermediate Shear Walls in SDC D