A closer look at numerical simulation of self-centring steel plate shear walls

Unstiffened steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are one of the most efficient lateral resisting systems in conventional steel structures. The essential characteristics of SPSWs, including high initial stiffness, great ductility and low compression resistance, make them desirable for implementation in self-centring structures that aim to eliminate or effectively reduce residual drift under earthquake load. In this work, a numerical simulation of a self-centring SPSW based on the strip model published by the American Institute of Steel Construction was conducted and an attempt was made to modify the method to match experimental results more accurately. It was found that the compression resistance of shear wall strips, realistic pinching behaviour and energy dissipation of bolts in post-tensioned connections are key aspects for developing a reliable simulation of a self-centring frames with SPSWs. Neglecting any of these issues can distort evaluation of the self-centring capability and the dissipated energy in the frame. In addition, deterioration in the shear wall material due to web plate tearing needs to be considered in the modelling to achieve more realistic assessments of the ultimate stiffness and strength of the system under significant seismic loads.