A parametric study on buckling loads and tension field stress patterns of steel plate shear walls concerning buckling modes

Abstract

A Steel Plate Shear Wall (SPSW) is a lateral load resisting system consisting of an infill plate located within a frame. When buckling occurs in the infill plate of a SPSW, a diagonal tension field is formed through the plate. The study of the tension field behavior regarding the distribution and orientation patterns of principal stresses can be useful, for instance to modify the basic strip model to predict the behavior of SPSW more accurately. This paper investigates the influence of torsional and out-of-plane flexural rigidities of boundary members (i.e. beams and columns) on the buckling coefficient as well as on the distribution and orientation patterns of principal stresses associated with the buckling modes. The linear buckling equations in the sense of von-Karman have been solved in conjunction with various boundary conditions, by using the Ritz method. Also, in this research the effects of symmetric and anti-symmetric buckling modes and complete anchoring of the tension field due to lacking of in-plane bending of the beams as well as the aspect ratio of plate on the behavior of tension field and buckling coefficient have been studied.