Comparative seismic vulnerability of shear walls and moment frames in RC buildings
Sana Afnzar, Mohamed Ahatri, Mina Derife, Abderrahman Atmani, El Hassan Ait Laasri
Abstract. This paper seeks to assess and compare the seismic vulnerability of shear walls (SW) and moment-resisting-frames (MRF) as lateral resistance systems in reinforced concrete structures, with application to structures located in the seismic region of Agadir city, Morocco. The main goal of this research is to adapt structural design methodologies to help enhance structural resilience and inform design choices in regions disposed to medium to high-frequency seismic activity. A non-linear static analysis, through the pushover technique, was conducted on two building models, one bridged by shear walls and the other by moment-resisting-frames using performance-based seismic design principles. These models represent a typical mid-rise reinforced concrete structure commonly used by engineers in the region. Therefore, the results show that moment-resistant frame structures have higher seismic vulnerability than shear wall systems, particularly in the X-axis direction. In addition, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the trade-offs between stiffness and ductility in seismic design, particularly in urban contexts where architectural flexibility and seismic safety need to be balanced. For example, the estimated probabilities of slight, moderate, and severe structural damage in frame systems were approximately 100%, 98%, and 58%, respectively, compared to only 68%, 34%, and 12% in shear wall systems. The same result was recorded for the Y-axis, with relatively lower overall values.
Keywords
Seismic Vulnerability, Pushover Analysis, RC Structure, Bracing Systems
Published online 1/10/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Sana Afnzar, Mohamed Ahatri, Mina Derife, Abderrahman Atmani, El Hassan Ait Laasri, Comparative seismic vulnerability of shear walls and moment frames in RC buildings, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 58, pp 1-8, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903933-1
The article was published as article 1 of the book Emerging Research in Materials for Environment, and Civil Infrastructure
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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