Non-linear Finite Element Analysis of Steel Plate Shear Wall with Different Plate Thickness and Column Sizes

To withstand lateral stresses like wind and earthquakes, steel buildings require lateral load-resisting systems called steel plate shear walls (SPSW). The current study aims to analyze how different geometric and material characteristics affect unstiffened steel plate shear walls when subjected to cyclic loads. A three-dimensional full-scale finite element model for a single panel has been developed using finite element software to predict hysteresis behavior. The numerical model includes both geometric and material non-linearities. The FE modeling approach has been verified through previous experiments. The current analysis and previous experimental results have demonstrated a satisfactory agreement, proving the validity and admissibility of the present model for further parametric study. By using non-linear monotonic, the investigation has then focused on studying the effect of using different column sections on an unstiffened single-panel SPSW for varying thickness. The monotonic behavior, including the strength and load-resisting capacity of the SPSW with respect to the bare frame, has been examined. The bare frame contributes more to the strength gain of a large column section whereas the thickness of the infill plate contributes more to the strength gain of a smaller column section system. A detailed discussion of the result is presented, along with a comparative analysis of the behavior of SPSW having different column sections and geometric configurations.