Optimization of Shear Wall Placement to Improve Seismic Performance of High-Rise Buildings Using Pushover Analysis

Abstract

High-rise reinforced concrete buildings are susceptible to seismic forces due to their slenderness and flexibility, necessitating effective lateral load-resisting systems. This study investigates the optimal placement of shear walls to enhance seismic performance. A seven-story symmetrical building model was developed in ETABS v.9.7.4, following ASCE/SEI 7-16 and ACI 318-19 standards. Five configurations were analyzed: one control model without shear walls and four others with different wall arrangements. Nonlinear static pushover analysis was employed to evaluate structural response under lateral loading. Performance metrics such as natural period, story displacement, drift ratio, base shear capacity, and pushover behavior were examined. Results indicate that shear wall presence and positioning significantly impact seismic response. The model with symmetrically placed shear walls (Model 3) achieved the best performance, showing a 44.7% reduction in fundamental period, a 40% increase in base shear capacity, and a 47.5% decrease in story drift. These findings highlight the effectiveness of symmetric shear wall layouts in improving seismic resilience. This research offers practical guidance for structural engineers in optimizing lateral systems for earthquake-resistant high-rise buildings.