Theoretical and numerical analysis on mechanical behavior of buckling restrained steel plate shear wall with staggered holes

The four-side connected buckling restrained steel plate shear wall (FBRW) exhibits robust mechanical properties, including a high lateral load-bearing capacity and excellent stiffness, as well as effective energy dissipation. However, there is an inherent vulnerability due to the gap between the restraining panels and the boundary elements. This gap forms an unrestrained area in the inner steel plate, which is mechanically inferior to the areas confined by restraining panels. Consequently, damage typically manifests first in these unrestrained areas, particularly at the corners of the inner steel plate. To address this limitation, this paper introduced a modified design—namely, the four-side connected buckling restrained steel plate shear wall with staggered holes (SHBRW). In this innovative design, staggered holes were strategically positioned in the restrained regions of the inner steel plate. These perforations served to intentionally weaken those areas, thereby concentrating plastic strain within them. Moreover, the staggered holes oriented the inner steel plate into multiple strips aligned at 45 degrees, which aligns well with the principal stress direction in FBRW. This alignment enhanced the load-bearing efficiency of SHBRW. To rigorously assess the mechanical performance of SHBRW, finite element analysis was conducted. This analysis accounted for the distribution of plastic strain within the inner steel plate, as well as the internal forces exerted on the boundary elements. Subsequently, an optimal hole layout—comprising both hole spacing and diameter—was determined. Finally, theoretical equations for calculating the initial stiffness and yield capacity of SHBRW were derived to fulfill the demands of both performance evaluation and structural design. A comparison between these theoretical calculations and the results of the finite element analysis revealed a high degree of concordance, affirming the utility and accuracy of the theoretical equations for practical applications.