Enhancing cyclic performance of double steel plate shear walls with optimized stiffener configurations

This study investigates the effectiveness of various stiffener arrangements in enhancing the cyclic behavior of double-plate steel shear wall systems (SPSWs). Eight numerical models were developed incorporating cruciform, diagonal, vertical, parallel, and knee-braced stiffeners. The models were subjected to cyclic loading and analyzed using the non-linear finite element method (FEM). The study demonstrates the effectiveness of double-plate SPSWs and the significant benefits of incorporating well-designed stiffener arrangements. Cross-type stiffeners, in particular, offer a promising approach to enhance the performance of these structures. This configuration achieved a 17% and 15% increase in energy absorption and load-bearing capacity compared to the base model. The study also revealed that the equivalent viscous damping coefficient, a measure of energy dissipation efficiency, is highest for the model with the concrete panel between two steel plates. However, out-of-plane deformations were observed in Model 9 due to the separation between the steel and concrete panels. The research suggests that reducing stiffener spacing and increasing their number can mitigate the out-of-plane displacements.