Effects of configuration parameters on seismic performance of steel frames equipped with composite steel panel wall

This paper aims to investigate the effects of configuration parameters on seismic performance of steel frames equipped with composite steel panel wall (CPWF). First, cyclic tests on two 1:3 scale CPWF and a same-size bare steel frame were conducted to obtain the seismic behavior of the CPWF structures. Then, numerical models for CPWF structures were established based on the finite element method, and such models were validated by the tests. Besides, parametric analysis was performed to study the impacts of the length-to-height ratio, height-to-thickness ratio, and bolt spacing of CPW on ultimate load capacity of CPWF. Lastly, a unified formula for the shearing load resistance and such parameters of CPW was developed, and the approximate relationship curves for these parameters were fitted. The results show that (a) the shearing load resistance, ductility, lateral stiffness of the steel frame increased with increasing the length-to-height ratio of equipped CPW according to the test results, and the maximum lateral drift of the CPWF was larger than 4%; (b) the shearing load resistance of CPWF increased with increasing the length-to-height ratio of CPW but with decreasing the height-to-thickness ratio and bolt spacing, and the proposed formula was fitted by the numerical results.