Keywords: tension field action, hysteresis behaviour, cyclic analysis, push over analysis, post-buckling strength.

Previous research work on steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) showed that such systems provide adequate shear strength, and dissipate significant amounts of hysteretic energy when subjected to cyclic loading. Current design rules [1] for SPSWs are based on reducing the in-fill plate into tension strips in the direction of principal tensile stresses after buckling, which is designated as a strip model.

In this paper, a finite element model for SPSWs was established using shell elements using the finite element program, ANSYS. The finite element model was validated by comparing quasi-static cyclic analysis results and monotonic push-over analysis results to hysteresis curves obtained using test results published in the literature [2,3] on fourteen SPSWs.

The analysis conducted revealed that the proposed shell element model predicted the hysteretic behaviour, stiffness, strength, energy dissipated and mode of failure of the tested SPSWs subjected to cyclic loading. Moreover, the push-over curve computed using the finite element model was sufficient to predict the SPSW stiffness and strength. Although the strip model is a widely accepted numerical tool for analysis and design of conventional SPSWs [1], it was revealed that the push-over curve computed using such a model underestimated the wall stiffness and shear strength. Moreover, the double strip model [4] did not predict the hysteretic behaviour of SPSWs subject to cyclic load accurately and underestimated the energy dissipated by the wall. It was concluded that the strip model(s) require further research work to enhance the predicted hysteresis behaviour, energy dissipated during cyclic loading, and to account for non-conventional SPSW configurations.

The numerical solution using shell elements can be used as a powerful numerical tool to investigate the effect of SPSW properties and configuration on wall stiffness, strength, hysteresis behaviour and design requirements of boundary elements.

1

American Institute for Steel Construction, ANSI/AISC 341-05, "Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings", Chicago, IL, USA, 2005.

2

H.G. Park, J.H. Kwack, S.W. Jeon, W.K. Kim, I.R. Choi, "Framed Steel Plate Wall Behavior under Cyclic Lateral Loading", Journal of Structural Engineering, 133(3), 378-388, 2007. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2007)133:3(378)

3

I.R. Choi, H.G. Park, "Ductility and Energy Dissipation Capacity of Shear-Dominated Steel Plate Walls", ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, 134(9), 1495-1507, 2008. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2008)134:9(1495)

4

B. Qu, M. Bruneau, C.H. Lin, K.C. Tsai, "Experimental investigation of Full-scale Two Story Steel Plate Shear Walls with Reduced Beam section Connections", Technical report MCEER-08-0010, Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, Buffalo, New York, 2008.

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