A simplified seismic design method for low-rise dual frame-steel plate shear wall structures

In this paper, a simplified seismic design method for low-rise dual frame-steel plate shear wall (SPSW) structures is proposed in the framework of performance-based seismic design. The dynamic response of a low-rise structure is mainly dominated by the first-mode and the structural system can be simplified to an equivalent single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) oscillator. The dual frame-SPSW structure was decomposed into a frame system and a SPSW system and they were simplified to an equivalent F-SDOF (SDOF for frame) oscillator and an equivalent S-SDOF (SDOF for SPSW) oscillator, respectively. The analytical models of F-SDOF and S-SDOF oscillators were constructed based on the OpenSees platform. The equivalent SDOF oscillator (D-SDOF, dual SDOF) for the frame-SPSW system was developed by combining the F-SDOF and S-SDOF oscillators in parallel. By employing the lateral force resistance coefficients and seismic demands of D-SDOF oscillator, the design approach of SPSW systems was developed. A 7-story frame-SPSW system was adopted to verify the feasibility and demonstrate the design process of the simplified method. The results also show the seismic demands derived by the equivalent dual SDOF oscillator have a good consistence with that by the frame-SPSW structure.