An equivalent continuum approach for coupled shear walls

This paper presents a continuum approach for the analysis of coupled shear walls. The rows of openings are modelled as homogeneous layers with elastic moduli defined through an energy balance condition, and the local deformations at the junctions between wall and lintel beams are taken into account. Hence, an equivalent continuous beam is obtained which is analysed by a displacement-based approach. The proposed model allows for the evaluation of the remarkable role played by the shear strains on the wall deformation and for the analysis of shear walls with many rows of openings without any additional computational effort. Various numerical examples are developed and the results obtained turn out to be more accurate than those given by classical methods.