Design Simulation and Applied Research of a New Disc Spring-Laminated Rubber Dissipating Device Used in Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls

Addressing the issue of stress concentration at the toe of steel plate shear walls, which is susceptible to local buckling and brittle failure under seismic loading, this paper innovatively proposes a disc spring-laminated rubber energy dissipation device (DSLRDD) newly designed for application at the wall toe of the shear wall structures. Firstly, the structure characteristics and energy dissipation principle of the DSLRDD are described. Secondly, the finite element model of the DSLRDD is established in ABAQUS. Furthermore, the optimal design parameters’ values of DSLRDD are analyzed and given by taking the stacking arrangement of disc springs, the thickness ratio of steel plate to rubber layer, and the yield strength of steel plate as three main parameters. It is recommended that in DSLRDD, the disc spring stacking arrangement adopts either two pieces in series or a composite of series–parallel. At the same time, the range of the thickness ratio between the steel plate and the rubber layer is defined as being between 1.25 and 2.5, and the yield strength value of the steel plate is determined as 400 MPa. Finally, to verify the energy dissipation capacity of the DSLRDD, a double corrugated steel plate shear wall (DCSPSW) is taken as the experimental structure. The model has been verified against the test data, with a maximum damping force error of 14.4%, ensuring reliable modeling. DSLRDD models with the disc spring stacking arrangements of two pieces in series and composite of series–parallel were established, respectively, and they were installed at the toe of the DCSPSW. The seismic performance of the DCSPSW before and after the installation of two different DSLRDDs is studied. The results show that the DSLRDDs have obvious energy absorption capabilities. The energy dissipation factors of DCSPSW before and after installing DSLRDD were increased by 10.0% and 8.9%, respectively. DCSPSW with DSLRDD exhibits better plasticity and bearing capacity under seismic action, and the stress and deformation are mainly concentrated on the DSLRDD instead of the wall toe. Moreover, it is recommended to use the stacking arrangement of two series disc springs with a simple structure. In conclusion, the DSLRDD has excellent energy dissipation capacity and can be fully applied to practical projects.