"CAMUS 3" International Benchmark : Report on numerical modeling

Within the framework of the TMR (Training and Mobility of Researchers) of the 5th Topic � Shear Wall Structures� of the European Program ICONS (� Innovative Seismic Design Concepts for New and Existing Structures� ), it was decided to perform a series of seismic tests on a 5 storeys structure with the same experimental set up than the previous French CAMUS experiment but on a structure following the EC8 provisions. The specimen has a height of 5.1m and is made by 2 walls with a total mass of 36 tons. The tests have been performed on the Azalee shaking table of the EMSI Laboratory which is the largest shaking table in Europe. A series of increasing level seismic tests between 0.10g and 1.35g has been realised with 2 types of signals. An artificial signal called NICE has been used for the ultimate tests while the natural signal MELENDY RANCH representative of a near-field low magnitude signal has been chosen for the intermediate tests. The tests have been performed until the collapse of the structure. Collapse means the appearance of significant cracks on the concrete wall, significant plastic strain � with possible failure of some bars- of the vertical reinforcing steel and crushing of concrete. The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Osijek participated making blind prediction of the seismic response of a five-story cantilever structural wall subjected to a given set of earthquakes. The main objective of the present study was to check the ability of a relatively simple macro element and a standard computer code to model global parameters of the wall response. Using this model the experiments were simulated in advance. The time histories for horizontal displacements and rotations as well as shear forces and bending moments were computed. After the organisers of the benchmark study had made known the results of the experiments, the comparison of the presented analytical prediction and experimental results has shown an acceptable correlation.