Shear migration and dynamic shear amplification effects on seismic response of core walls

Dynamic shear amplification and shear migration are two important phenomena that could be critical for shear design of structural core walls. Dynamic shear amplification has been studied for cantilever walls since 1970s. Similarly, shear migration phenomenon has been observed at coupled wall tests since mid-1970s. Yet, there is no consensus among seismic design codes for consideration of the effects of dynamic shear amplification and shear migration, especially for coupled wall systems. The paper presents the effect of dynamic shear amplification on cantilever walls and shear migration effect on coupled core walls, which are vital elements for seismic design of tall buildings. Demonstrative examples on core walls are presented for both phenomena.