NON-LINEAR BEHAVIOR OF STEEL PLATE SHEAR WALL WITH LARGE RECTANGULAR OPENING

Steel plate shear walls have been used more and more in the steel structures to resist earthquake and wind forces. This system offers several advantages as compared to the other usual lateral load resisting systems. Steel saving, speed of erection, reduced foundation cost, and increased usable space in buildings are some apparent advantages of the steel plate shear walls. Steel plate shear walls also provide major stiffness against building drift for the hi-rise buildings. The hysteretic Characteristic, ductility and the energy absorption capacity make this system suitable to be used as seismic resistant element in the steel structures. It is frequently demanded to introduce relatively big opening in the steel plate shear walls. These openings reduce the shear and energy absorption capacity of the plate.