Development of a recentering steel plate shear wall and addressing critical steel plate shear wall research needs

Innovative advances in steel plate shear wall technology could produce systems that meet stringent performance requirements, including zero residual drifts. Here, an overview of a recently awarded NEESR-SG research project is presented that seeks to develop a resilient steel plate shear wall system. The system strategically combines the benefits of self-centering and steel plate shear wall technologies to create a robust, ductile, and easily repairable system that has the potential to reduce life-cycle costs for buildings. Analytical models of a proposed resilient steel plate shear system are presented and preliminary design requirements for achieving specific performance objectives are discussed. Nonlinear response history analysis results show that the resilient steel plate shear wall concept is capable of recentering and meeting other critical performance objectives. The project also seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps in the understanding of steel plate shear wall behavior and design approaches. These knowledge gaps include: (i) tools for performance-based design, (ii) expedient and accurate modeling techniques, especially for high-rise steel plate shear walls, and (iii) the behavior of, and design approach for, coupled steel plate shear walls. The experimental and analytical research program to address the knowledge gaps, their progress, and the preliminary results are briefly discussed.