Design and shaking table test of a ten-storey building with steel plate shear walls partially connected to columns

In order to satisfy building lights requirements and mitigate high stress in columns caused by post-tensioned steel plate shear walls (SPSWs), steel plate shear walls partially welded to columns (PC-SPSWs) have been proposed. However, limited researches about seismic performance of PC-SPSWs have been conducted. The object of this paper is to introduce the design process of a ten-storey residual building with SPSWs in Lanzhou City China, to verify the design method of a building with PC-SPSWs, and to evaluate the global seismic response of entire structure with PC-SPSW under earthquakes. The design process of prototype buildings with SPSWs was introduced in detail by referring to relevant design specifications. The design process of prototype buildings with PC-SPSWs was based on the principle that the static performance of PC-SPSWs was almost equivalent to that of SPSWs in terms of lateral stiffness or the horizontal load bearing capacity. A shaking table test of a 1:8 scale ten-storey steel residential building with PC-SPSWs was conducted at Shaking Table Laboratory. The results show equivalent design principle was effective and the designed prototype building with PC-SPSW was consistent with that with SPSW both in static and dynamic characteristics. The test specimen of PC-SPSW exhibited the lateral bending deformation under input ground motions, which was highly similar to that of a cantilever beam subjected to concentrated force at the free end. Plastic hinges tended to appear on the infill plates earlier than on the outer frame. Before the peak ground acceleration reached 0.40g, structural damage mainly concentrated on steel plates, less damage on steel columns, which reflects the multi-defense levels of seismic engineering. In addition, the specimen can meet Chinese seismic design code requirements and realize seismic fortification goal, so it indicates that PC-SPSWs are likely to be applied in high earthquake intensity regions. • The equivalent principle based on lateral stiffness and ultimate bearing capacity can help design a building with PC-SPSWs and the design method introduced in this paper is valid. • The steel frame building with PC-SPSWs exhibited lateral bending deformation mode under the horizontal seismic action, highly similar to that of a cantilever beam subjected to a concentrated force at the free end. • Firstly, the plastic hinges started to form in infill plates. Then it is observed that structural damage was mainly concentrated on the plates and developed with the increasing horizontal acceleration. This suggests an excellent yielding sequence from infill plates to outer or surrounding steel frames and reflects the multi-defense levels of seismic engineering.