Cyclic and dynamic testing of self-centering steel plate shear walls

A self-centering steel plate shear wall (SC-SPSW) system has been developed to achieve enhanced performance objectives following earthquakes; namely system re-centering and concentration of energy dissipation in easily replaceable elements. The SC-SPSW consists of replaceable thin steel web panels as the primary lateral load resistance and energy dissipation elements of the system, whose replacement is facilitated by the presence of post-tensioned (PT) beam-to-column rocking connections that provide system recentering capabilities. The system behavior of SC-SPSWs have been investigated experimentally through a series of third-scale 3-story SC-SPSWs subjected to quasi-static cyclic and dynamic shake table tests at the University at Buffalo (UB). Typical test results performed at UB are presented for both static and dynamic tests. These experiments consider three different PT rocking connection details: 1) connections that rock about the top and bottom beam flanges, 2) connections that rock about the beam centerline, and 3) an innovative NewZ-BREAKSS connection that rocks about the top beam flanges only. The latter two PT connections have been proposed as methods to essentially eliminate floor system damage due to frame expansion (a.k.a. beam growth) that occurs with typical PT rocking connections where the beams rock about both the top and bottom beam flanges. These experimental results presented are part of a collaborative research effort with the University of Washington (UW) on SC-SPSWs. The tests conducted at UB provide new knowledge about the cyclic and dynamic behavior of SC-SPSWs which provide key insight in the fundamental behavior and system performance of this type of innovative system.