Experimental and numerical study on seismic performance of concrete-infilled double steel corrugated-plate walls

Abstract

The Concrete-infilled Double Steel Corrugated-plate Wall (CDSCW) consists of a corrugated part and vertical boundary elements. The corrugated part is composed of outer steel corrugated plates (SCPs), infilled concrete, and intermediate bolts connecting the outer plates. The vertical boundary elements may adopt the concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs). This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations into the seismic performance of CDSCWs. Firstly, two specimens with different axial compression ratios were tested under combined axial compression and cyclic lateral loads. The experimental results indicated that the CDSCWs had significant ductility and excellent seismic performance. It was observed that the sufficient strength and stiffness of boundary elements were vital in achieving high load-bearing capacity and ductility of CDSCWs. The failure of the experimental specimens was closely related to the axial compression ratio, involving local buckling and fracture of SCPs and steel tubes and crushing of the infilled concrete. Subsequently, an additional numerical investigation into the performance of CDSCWs was carried out using a finite element (FE) model validated through the test data. The effects of the shear span-to-depth ratio, the axial compression ratio, the strength and stiffness of the boundary elements, and the width-to-thickness ratio of the steel tubes on the load-bearing capacities of CDSCWs are involved in this investigation. It is found that the CDSCWs with small shear span-to-depth ratios are mainly subjected to bending-shear failure, while those with large shear span-to-depth ratios are subjected to compression-bending failure. The strength and ductility of CDSCWs could be improved by strengthening the strength and stiffness of the boundary elements and limiting the width-to-thickness ratio of steel tubes. The conclusions obtained can provide fundamentals for further improving the strength design of CDSCWs.