Numerical investigation of displacement compatibility and interaction between reinforced concrete walls forming a system

Previous research works pointed out that the displacement compatibility between walls of different lengths working in parallel may lead to a variation in seismic behaviour when compared to the same walls considered independently. Thus, as a part of a broader research project, this paper investigates the seismic behaviour of a system of two reinforced concrete walls of different lengths through a refined numerical model in DIANA. Results show that the shortest wall is characterised by a larger base shear and a smaller yielding displacement when analysed as part of the system rather than independently. Thus, neglecting the interaction between the system elements might lead to an unconservative estimation of shear demand in the shorter walls.