Approximate frequency analysis of shear wall frame structures

The finite strip method is used to determine the natural frequencies of shear wall frame buildings. The structure can be modelled in two different ways. In the first approach both the shear walls and the frames are idealized simply as an assemblage of finite strips of varying thicknesses with given or computed properties, while in the second approach the shear walls are still idealized as a series of finite strips, but the frames are regarded as a number of long columns which are interconnected with each other or with finite strips through the horizontal beams. Numerical results obtained from both models indicate good agreement with finite element solutions. The proposed models can be applied to a wide range of shear wall frame assemblies and are therefore more versatile than most existing models.