This article originates from an experimental program and nonlinear finite element analysis aimed at examining how pozzolanic concrete influences the behavior of RC shear walls with openings. To achieve this, stress-strain diagrams, and the elastic modulus of 33 cylindrical concrete specimens, each containing varying percentages of silica fume and zeolite (ranging from 0% to 25%), were evaluated. The impact of silica fume and zeolite pozzolans on the ductility and load-bearing capacity of RC shear walls with openings was explored. This was done by analyzing the mechanical properties of the specimens and integrating them into the analytical model. Subsequently, a shear wall with conventional concrete was simulated using the finite element method (FEM). The study delved into the effects of substituting the initial concrete with pozzolanic concrete within the shear wall. Additionally, it investigated the simultaneous reduction in the diameter of the reinforcing bars employed, all in the pursuit of attaining the optimal design for these walls. The findings demonstrated that employing pozzolanic concrete in shear walls, coupled with a balanced configuration of rebar, led to heightened ductility, improved energy absorption, and an enhanced load-bearing capacity for the walls.

The novel equivalent material concept, proposed originally by the author, was utilized together with the mean stress and the point stress failure concepts to predict the load-carrying capacity of O-notched ductile steel plates under pure tension. Unlike for V and U-notches, it was found that the point stress criterion combined with the equivalent material concept could estimate successfully the limited available experimental results reported in literature regarding four O-notched plates made of very ductile steel. By using the model, one may predict well the onset of tensile crack initiation in O-notched ductile components without requiring performing experiments or elastic-plastic analysis.

Numerous failure curves are presented in this manuscript to predict the onset of sudden fracture in V-notched brittle materials under combined tension-shear loading conditions. The curves were developed in a computational manner in terms of the notch stress intensity factors and based on the suitable failure concept of the maximum tangential stress (MTS) utilized frequently in the past by the author and his co-researchers for predicting mixed mode brittle fracture in extensive notched specimens. Three extensively used notch angles and various notch tip radii were considered in the computations. A wide range of brittle materials were also taken into account by defining and using the material critical distance. Through predicting load-bearing capacity and notch bifurcation angle utilizing only the two basic material properties namely the ultimate tensile strength and the plane-strain fracture toughness, engineers can design more rapidly and conveniently the V-notched brittle components with the aim to withstand reliably against sudden fracture.