Aspect ratios of code-designed steel plate shear walls for improved seismic performance

Past studies have shown that the aspect ratio (width-to-height) of a steel plate shear wall (SPSW) can significantly affect its seismic response. SPSWs with lower aspect ratio (narrow SPSW) may experience low lateral stiffness and flexure dominated drift response. As the height of the frame increases, the narrow SPSWs prove to be uneconomical and demonstrate inferior seismic response than their wider counterparts. Moreover, the thicker web plates required for narrow SPSWs exerts high inward pull on the VBEs. The present study suggests the limiting values of the aspect ratio for an SPSW system by evaluating the seismic collapse performance of 3-, 6- and 9-story SPSW systems using FEMA P695 methodology. For this purpose, nonlinear models are developed. These models are validated with the past quasi-static experimental results. Non-linear static analyses and Incremental dynamic analyses are then carried. The results are then utilized to conservatively suggest the limiting values of aspect ratios for SPSW system. In addition to the conventional-SPSW (Conv-SPSW), the collapse performance of staggered-SPSW (S-SPSW) is also explored. Its performance is compared with the Conv-SPSW and the use of S-SPSW is suggested in the cases where SPSW with lower than recommended aspect ratio is desired.