An Approximate Method for Free Vibration Analysis of Multi-Bay Coupled Shear Walls

In this study, an approximate method based on the continuum approach and transfer matrix method for free vibration analysis of multi bay coupled shear walls is presented. In this method the whole structure is idealized as sandwich beam. Initially the differential equation of this equivalent sandwich beam is written then shape function for each storey can be obtained by the solution of differential equations. By using boundary conditions and storey transfer matrices which are obtained by these shape functions, system modes and periods can be calculated. Reliability of the study is shown with a few examples. A computer program has been prepared in MATLAB computer algebra system and numerical samples have been solved for demonstration of the reliability of the method. The results of the samples display the convergence of the present method to the other methods used in literature.