Seismic Performance of Steel Plate Shear Walls

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are thin infill steel plates bounded by beams and columns that form an efficient lateral load–resisting system in buildings subject to seismic forces. Upon lateral excitation, these infill plates yield in shear, dissipating energy through stable hysteretic loops while boundary frames provide flexural restraint and overall stability. The interaction between plate and frame governs post-yield behaviour, with plate thickness, stiffener configuration and connection details influencing initial stiffness, ultimate strength and ductility. Recent advances have explored composite encasement, corrugation patterns and openings to tailor stiffness and energy dissipation for both new construction and retrofitting. Global interest in SPSWs arises from their high strength-to-weight ratio, rapid erection and adaptability to performance-based design. Computational modelling, large-scale cyclic tests and emerging design methods continue to refine seismic provisions and practical guidelines for resilient steel structures worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent work has applied topology optimisation to flat steel shear walls under seismic loading, employing volume constraints and strain-energy maximisation to reconfigure infill plate geometry. By analysing multiple design volumes (60–90 per cent), the optimised configuration at 90 per cent volume constraint achieved the highest cumulative energy absorption (approximately 700 kJ), outperforming conventional layouts by around 15 per cent. This study highlights the potential to reduce plate weight while enhancing seismic performance through systematic redistribution of material in critical joint regions.

Seismic Performance of Steel Plate Shear Walls publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in seismic performance of steel plate shear walls across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ductility: Capacity of a structure to undergo inelastic deformation without significant loss of strength.

Hysteresis: Load–deformation response loop under cyclic loading, indicative of energy dissipation.

Energy dissipation: Absorption of seismic input energy through inelastic deformation and internal friction.

Buckling: Sudden lateral deflection of a plate under compressive stress, affecting post-yield behaviour.

Topology optimisation: Computational method to distribute material within a design domain for optimal performance under given constraints.

References

1. Mechanisms of plasticity development and energy dissipation on concrete-encased steel plate shear wall with boundary steel frame under cyclic loading. Case Studies in Construction Materials (2023).
2. Topology optimization of the flat steel shear wall based on the volume constraint and strain energy assumptions under the seismic loading conditions. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Effect of Corrugation Angle and Direction on the Performance of Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls. Civil Engineering Journal (2018).
4. Shear capacity prediction of stiffened steel plate shear walls (SSPSW) with openings using response surface method. Engineering Structures (2021).
5. Cyclic Performance of Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls with Beam‐Only‐Connected Infill Plates. Advances in Civil Engineering (2021).