Performance of perforated double steel plate reinforcements in composite shear walls under axial compression

Abstract

The double steel plate concrete shear wall (DSCSW) is an innovative vertical and lateral structural component composed of steel plates and concrete, linked through shear joints. These shear walls generally serve as the primary elements responsible for carrying lateral loads in tall structures. This research aims to evaluate the performance of steel plates with perforated openings in concrete shear walls under monotonic axial compression. In the preliminary stage, eight shear wall designs were evaluated using Finite Element (FE) analysis. The influence of different distance-to-thickness ratios, concrete thickness, perforated opening ratio, and load-bearing capacities were explored to establish the interaction effects of these different components on the design’s performance. In the primary stage, the numerical FE results were experimentally verified. The results indicated that the distance-to-thickness ratios in the design play a significant role in the failure mode of the wall. An appropriate opening rate can delay the occurrence of buckling, allowing the steel plate and concrete to perform their respective roles in terms of durability and safety. Conclusively, the FE models demonstrated a minimal degree of deviation when compared to the experimental data across all evaluated criteria.