Response assessment and prediction of low yield point steel plate shear walls with curved corrugated web plates and reduced beam sections

Abstract In recent years, researchers have been moving increasingly towards new lateral force-resisting systems such as corrugated, low yield point (LYP) steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) fabricated with reduced beam sections. Recent application of curved corrugated web-plates with improved structural performances combined to the merit of LYP steel with superior elongation capacity has motivated the researchers to consider the employment of such elements in unstiffened SPSWs with the aim of developing a high-performing system. Currently, no design code addresses the seismic performance of LYP corrugated steel plate shear walls (CSPSWs). More investigations are required to develop a fundamental understanding of the performance of these seismic systems employing LYP steel material and corrugated infill plates. The present paper investigates the seismic performance of unstiffened, corrugated, and LYP steel walls under monotonic and cyclic loadings. A series of LYP steel plate walls were designed based on the capacity design approach proposed in AISC 341 code. The effectiveness of web plate thickness, corrugation angle, number of corrugations, and the aspect ratio of the plate are evaluated in this study. The results of this research demonstrate how employment of LYP steel material as well as curved corrugated plates is beneficial in improving the strength, hysteresis performance, and stiffness of the system. Increasing the number of corrugation half-waves can adversely affect structural behavior. The behavior of LYP steel plate shear walls with curved corrugated web plates is predicted and examined using a modified plate-frame interaction (M-PFI) method. Analytical predictions are compared with experimental and numerical results.