Seismic protection of RC structures by steel plate shear walls

This study investigates an innovative method based on low yield steel plate shear walls for seismic retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures. A simplified model of steel shear panels is developed for global analyses of multi-story RC frames. The seismic performance of a non-ductile five-story RC frame retrofitted with steel plate shear walls is evaluated using nonlinear dynamic analyses in terms of drift control and energy dissipation capability of avoiding plasticization outside the steel panel. 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 in case of 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