Numerical and analytical study on initial stiffness of corrugated steel plate shear walls in modular construction

Modular construction has been increasingly used for mid-to-high rise buildings attributable to the high construction speed, improved quality and low environmental pollution. The individual and repetitive room-sized module unit is usually fully finished in the factory and installed on-site to constitute an integrated construction. However, there is a lack of design guidance on modular structures. This paper mainly focuses on the evaluation of the initial stiffness of corrugated steel plate shears walls (CSPSWs) in container-like modular construction. A finite element model was firstly developed and verified against the existing cyclic tests. The theoretical formulas predicting the initial stiffness of CSPSWs were then derived. The accuracy of the theoretical formulas was verified by the related numerical and test results. Furthermore, parametric analysis was conducted and the influence of the geometrical parameters on the initial stiffness of CSPSWs was discussed and evaluated in detail. The present study provides practical design formulas and recommendations for CSPSWs in modular construction, which are useful to broaden the application of modular construction in high-rise buildings and seismic area.