Seismic Performance of Existing R/C Frames Strengthened by Steel Plate Shear Walls: Fid-Bau Portal

Seismic Performance of Existing R/C Frames Strengthened by Steel Plate Shear Walls

Valente, Marco

This study investigates an innovative method based on low yield steel plate shear walls for seismic retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete (R/C) structures. A simplified numerical model of steel shear panels is developed for global analyses of multi-story R/C frames. The seismic performance of a non-ductile five-story R/C frame retrofitted with steel plate shear walls is evaluated in terms of drift control and energy dissipation capacity using nonlinear dynamic analyses. The results obtained by the application of two different story-wise distributions of steel plates are compared. In case of retrofitted frames a considerable decrease of the maximum top displacements is registered and the energy dissipated by the primary structural elements is significantly reduced for severe seismic actions. The energy dissipation concentrates in the steel panels, reducing the plastic demand on the structural members, along with the potential for structural damage. The different story-wise distributions of the steel panels change the damage distribution throughout the frame. The uniform arrangement of the steel panel thickness along the height of the frame causes a concentration of damage in the columns of the first story. In case of steel panel distribution proportional to story shear, the energy dissipation results more uniform over the height of the frame and a significant decrease of damage is registered for the columns of all the storeys.