Experimental Resistance and Available Ductility of Steel-Plate Composite Walls in One-Way Bending

This paper presents the results of an experimental program in which eight one-third-scale steel-plate composite (SC) wall sections were tested in four-point bending to ultimate failure (tension faceplate rupture). All specimens had the same global dimensions (102x279x1626mm) but varied design parameters: different faceplate thickness resulting in 3.5-5.6% flexural reinforcement and slenderness ratios from 17.9 to 29.0; steel faceplate strength ranged from 400 to 700MPa; and different tie-bar diameters and spacing resulted in shear reinforcement ratios between 0.37 and 1.23%. The experimental results include the elastic stiffness and yield moment, postyield behavior up to ultimate failure, fundamental moment-curvature behavior, complete load-displacement response, and deformation and curvature ductility for all eight specimens. Equations from existing design specifications for SC walls accurately estimated cracked-transformed (elastic) stiffness and the yield moment of the scaled wall sections. The ductility of the specimens is related directly to the faceplate material ductility and net section loss due to holes in the faceplates through which tie bars were installed.