Steel plate shear wall

Similar to plate girders, the SPW system optimizes component performance by taking advantage of the post-buckling behavior of the steel infill panels.

Much research has been conducted to not only help determine the behavior, response and performance of SPWs under cyclic and dynamic loading, but also as a means to help advance analysis and design methodologies for the engineering community.

The pioneering work of Kulak and co-investigators at the University of Alberta in Canada led to a simplified method for analyzing a thin unstiffened SPSW – the strip model.

Although the plate girder theory seems appropriate for the design of an SPW structure, a very important difference is the relatively high bending strength and stiffness of the beams and columns that form the boundary elements of the wall.

The energy dissipating qualities of the web plate under extreme cyclic loading has raised the prospect of using SPSWs as a promising alternative to conventional systems in high-risk seismic regions.

Similar to plate girders, the SPW system optimizes component performance by taking advantage of the post-buckling behaviour of the steel infill panels.

Furthermore, the inelastic deformation capacity of this highly redundant system had not been utilized, also ignoring the significant energy dissipation capability that is of great importance for buildings in high-risk seismic zones.

[8] Recent research in the United States by Astaneh (2001) supports the assertion by Canadian academia that unstiffened plate, post-buckling behaviour acts as a capable shear resisting system.

Research conducted at the University of British Columbia by Rezai et al. (1999) showed that the strip model is significantly incompatible and inaccurate for a wide range of SPW arrangements.

In order to overcome this limitation, a general method was developed for the analysis and design of SPWs within different configurations, including walls with or without openings, with thin or thick plates, and with or without stiffeners.

[10] This method considers the behavior of the steel plate and frame separately, and accounts for the interaction of these two elements, which leads to a more rational engineering design of an SPSW system.