Enhancing Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Structures: A Comprehensive Review of Shear Wall Configurations and Filler Slabs

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures, popular designs in construction, boast strength and durability. Consideration of their seismic performance becomes critical in earthquakeprone regions. This article discusses the seismic behavior of these structures, with a focus on shear wall configurations and filler slabs. The intention is to deeply understand their roles, benefits, and possible improvements that enhance seismic resilience. Shear walls provide significant increases in stiffness through lifter strength and produce lower levels of lateral displacements. In this regard, they dissipate the seismic energy through inelastic deformations. Filler slabs reduce the weight of the overall structures, thus less seismic forces acting on them, and induce an improved energy dissipation. Several advances have occurred in relating advanced materials like ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) in increasing performance through improvements in the design of these elements. Some of these improved quality controls and reduction of several construction cycles are prefabricated modular construction. The most important aspects of evidence are that the two factors, shear walls, and filler slabs, work best for optimum performance against earthquakes. Research findings provide further direction into newer avenues for research, including smart materials and sensor technologies; performance-based design adoption; and sustainability in seismic design. These improvements are paramount in creating safe and resilient RC structures against damage due to seismic events.