Wall Vuc in AS3600

[Uzs1]

Hi fellows,

As3600 wall Vuc depends on the H and Lw. I understand that H is from wall base to top slab. However, I am not sure what H should I use when there is a change in wall configuration?
For example, say I have this wall that is 7.5m long at ground level while 3.5 at level 1 & 2.
What are the corresponding H for Vuc at ground floor Vuc0, at level 1 Vuc1 & level 2 Vuc2?
For example, at ground floor should I separate the wall into a 3.5m long wall and 4.0m long wall with H=9m for the 3.5m long one and H=3m for the 4m long wall one?

 

[Retrograde]

I note that they changed this in Amendment 2 of the Code. It used to be based on the floor-to-floor height.

 

[rapt]

I would assume you need to do another shear check treating L1 as the base height as that would be a second critical shear location!

 

[Uzs1]

@Retrograde. Yeah it used to be Hw instead of H in AS3600-2009.

@rapt. By L1 as the base height do you mean Lw =7.5m and H=3m for Vuc0 location? Or Lw=4m with H=3m plus Lw=3.5m with H=9m?

 

[rapt]

But Someone changed the definition of Hw in the 2009 code and it was not followed through all uses of it. If you go back to earlier codes (eg 1994) Hw was overall height of the all. So H was added to cover the old definition. 2009 was the code that was wrong.

I am suggesting that with such a significant change in structure at L1, the base of the wall above it would be at L1. There would be another plastic hinge there and the upper wall is bending about L1.