The Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake occurred on 21 September 1999 caused a lot of property damage. Many collapsed buildings were street houses with pedestrian corridors and open fronts on the ground floors. Exterior structural wall in back side of building will be one of solutions of street houses in Taiwan. The structural walls itself have been used as the main earthquake-resistant element of the reinforced concrete buildings, but they often have some openings according to the intention of the architectural design.
Six models of typical structural walls in Taiwan, including solid wall were investigated. Models were analyzed using non-linear finite element program. The models were analyzed under reversed cyclic loading to simulate the behavior of the walls subjected to earthquake. In order to investigate simplified method of hand calculation for stiffness and lateral strength of structural wall with opening, several equations, including reduction factor from previous researchers were studied. Performance of hand calculation methods were compared to finite element results. Furthermore, the prediction lateral stiffness are close to the finite element results, it means that this analytical method can be one of approximation method to capture lateral stiffness of structural wall with opening.
In addition to that, design method for structural wall with opening according to code provision would be important to be considered.

The Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake occurred on 21 September 1999 caused a lot of property damage. Many collapsed buildings were street houses with pedestrian corridors and open fronts on the ground floors. Exterior structural wall in back side of building will be one of solutions of street houses in Taiwan. The structural walls itself have been used as the main earthquake-resistant element of the reinforced concrete buildings, but they often have some openings according to the intention of the architectural design.
Six models of typical structural walls in Taiwan, including solid wall were investigated. Models were analyzed using non-linear finite element program. The models were analyzed under reversed cyclic loading to simulate the behavior of the walls subjected to earthquake. In order to investigate simplified method of hand calculation for stiffness and lateral strength of structural wall with opening, several equations, including reduction factor from previous researchers were studied. Performance of hand calculation methods were compared to finite element results. Furthermore, the prediction lateral stiffness are close to the finite element results, it means that this analytical method can be one of approximation method to capture lateral stiffness of structural wall with opening.
In addition to that, design method for structural wall with opening according to code provision would be important to be considered.

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