Experimental Performance Evaluation of Multi-Storey Steel Plate Shear Walls Designed by Different Methods

In accordance with two different design methods including the technical specification for steel structures of tall buildings and the shear-bearing capacity method for infilled steel wall plates, two types of steel plate shear wall with unstiffened panels have been designed and constructed. All shear wall specimens are exposed to ultimate static monotonic and low horizontal cyclic loading conditions to determine their structural behaviors under an idealized severe earthquake event. The seismic performances of these two types of specimens are identified by the overall roof displacement angle, lateral stiffness, ductility, different distribution of horizontal force and overturning moment, and inclined angle of diagonal tension field. These two types of steel plate shear wall exhibit excellent seismic performance. However, the specimens with thin infill plate thickness of 1.1 mm perform better than the thicker specimens with plate thickness of 3.75 mm. In terms of serviceability performance, the experimental results exhibit that the thicker specimens designed by the technical specification tend to be more conservative. Their over-strength factor, strength assurance coefficient and drift angle are 4.98, 6.3 and 1/1335, respectively. However, the thinner specimens designed by the shear capacity method for shear panel yield the serviceability performance factors of 2.22, 2.71 and 1/407, respectively. It is important to note that design practice generally adopts the over-strength factor between 2 and 3, and the strength assurance coefficient is often designed for 3 and the maximum inter-story drift limit given by the design specification is 1/300. On this ground, it is apparent that the shear-bearing capacity method enables relatively more economical compared to the technical specification for steel structures.