Investigation of Viscous Damper Effect on the Behavior of Thin Steel Plate Shear Walls

Steel shear walls have garnered significant attention from researchers as lateral force resisting systems, owing to their high stiffness, capacity, ductility and energy dissipation. However, retrofitting and repairing such systems is uneconomical for low and medium seismic levels. Therefore, to limit damage, a novel steel shear wall system with viscous dampers has been proposed as a multi-level system capable of resisting lateral loads. This study numerically investigates the behavior and performance of a thin-walled steel shear wall system integrated with viscous dampers, using OpenSees software. The analysis and design of structures with single steel shear walls and steel shear walls coupled with dampers, subjected to various ground motions, have been carried out. Their seismic performance and collapse potential were evaluated. Furthermore, the interaction between the steel shear walls and dampers was examined. Results demonstrate that with increasing number of floors and the dominance of flexural mode, the interference between wall deformations and damper actions engenders interaction between the steel shear walls and the damper bracing frames, enhancing system stiffness. Collapse assessment reveals that employing dampers alongside steel shear walls substantially improves collapse margin ratios and reduces annual collapse probability, thus signifying the efficacy of viscous dampers and underscoring the importance of their inclusion.