Overview
They constitute an SPSW. Its behavior is analogous to a vertical plate girder cantilevered from its base. Similar to plate girders, the SPW system optimizes component performance by taking advantage of the post-buckling behavior of the steel infill panels. An SPW frame can be idealized as a vertical cantilever plate girder, in which the steel plates act as the web, the columns act as the flanges and the cross beams represent the transverse stiffeners. The theory that governs plate design should not be used in design of SPW structures since the relatively high bending strength and stiffness of the beams and columns have a significant effect in the post-buckling behavior.
Capacity design of structures is: to control failure in a building by pre-selecting localized ductile fuses (or weak links) to act as the primary location for energy dissipation when a building is subjected to extreme loading. The structure is designed such that all inelastic action (or damage) occurs at these critical locations (the fuses), which are designed to behave in a ductile and stable manner. Conversely, all other structural elements are protected against failure or collapse by limiting the load transfer to these elements to the yield capacity of the fuses. In SPSWs, the infill plates are meant to serve as the fuse elements. When damaged during an extreme loading event, they can be replaced at a reasonable cost and restore full integrity of the building. In general, SPWs are categorized based on their performance, selection of structural and load-bearing systems, and the presence of perforations or stiffeners (Table 1).
A significant amount of valuable research has been performed on the static and dynamic behavior of SPSWs. 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. This model is incorporated in Chapter 20 of the most recent Canadian Steel Design Standard (CAN/CSA S16-01) and the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) provisions in the US.
Table 1. Categorization of steel plate walls based on performance characteristics and expectations
| Performance Characteristic | Performance Expectations or SPW Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Type of Loading carried by SPW | Lateral Load Only / Lateral Load + Wall's Dead Load (or so called 50% Gravity Load)/ Gravity + Lateral Loads |
| Structural System | Single wall with and without infill Columns / Coupled wall with and without infill Columns |
| Stiffener Spacing and Size | Post-Buckling effect can be seen in the sub panels / Panel buckles with the stiffeners globally / Stiffeners produces sub-panels which can be categorized as thick panel |
| Web Plate Behavior | Web plate yields before critical elastic buckling occurs (thick plate) / Web plate buckles elastically, develops post-buckling tension field, then yields (thin plate) |
| Web Plate Perforations | With perforations / Without perforations |
Read more about this topic: Steel Plate Shear Wall