Investigation of performance of steel plate shear walls with partial plate-column connection (SPSW-PC)

This research endeavor intends to use the implicit finite element method to investigate the structural response of steel shear walls with partial plate-column connection. To this end, comprehensive verification studies are initially performed by comparing the numerical predictions with several reported experimental results in order to demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the implicit analysis method. Comparison is made between the hysteresis curves, failure modes, and base shear capacities predicted numerically using ABAQUS software and obtained/observed experimentally. Following the validation of the finite element analysis approach, the effects of partial plate-column connection on the strength and stiffness performances of steel shear wall systems with different web-plate slenderness and aspect ratios under monotonic loading are investigated through a parametric study. While removal of the connection between the web-plate and columns can be beneficial by decreasing the overall system demand on the vertical boundary members, based on the results and findings of this study such detachment can lower the stiffness and strength capacities of steel shear walls by about 25%, on average.