Pseudo-dynamic testing of a fabricated composite frame with steel plate shear walls

A pseudo-dynamic testing program was generated on a fabricated composite frame with steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) to study its seismic performance. The specimen was a three-storey single-bay frame, which was composed of H-section steel columns and composite beams, and was assembled by bolted height-adjustable steel beam-to-column connections (BHA connections). Beam-only-connected SPSWs were selected as lateral load resisting members. The specimen was subjected to four ground motions of progressively increasing intensity. The results showed that: (1) beam-only-connected SPSWs provided sufficient lateral load resistance, lateral stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity to the fabricated frame via the tension field action developed in their infill panels; (2) the fabricated frame, assembled by BHA connections, exhibited substantial redundancy and good ductility; (3) an undesirable failure mode of the fabricated frame, in huge earthquakes, included severe cracking in composite beams and block shear failure in SPSWs’ connections; (4) the inter-storey shear force distribution determined by ASCE/SEI 7-10 was verified with experimental data.