Role of key design parameters of composite plate shear walls-concrete filled (C-PSW/CF) in strength and stiffness criteria

This paper presents analytical investigations to evaluate the key design criteria, strength and stiffness, of composite plate shear wall—concrete filled (C-PSW/CF) systems. The parameters considered in the study were the steel-plate reinforcement ratio, steel-plate yield stress ( F y ), specified compressive strength ( f c ′ ) of concrete filled, aspect ratio ( H w / L w ) , wall thickness ( T w ), and number of stories. One of the key issues in C-PSW/CF design is to determine how variations in each design parameter influence the primary design criteria of the wall and to establish a rational approach for achieving an optimal design that simultaneously satisfies both stiffness and strength requirements. C-PSWs/CF were modeled using the equivalent frame approach, and a comprehensive set of 231 models, comprising 5-, 10-, and 15-story buildings, was analyzed to evaluate the effects of various wall parameters on the strength and stiffness criteria. For the investigated models, varying the reinforcement ratio within the allowable code limits (1–10%) leads to an increase in the strength of the C-PSWs/CF ranging from 368% to 568%. Results indicate that if the designer's objective is to increase the wall strength, increasing the reinforcement ratio is the most effective strategy. If the designer's objective is to increase the wall stiffness and reduce the maximum story drift, reducing the wall aspect ratio is the most effective strategy.