Steel plate shear walls have under-gone an evolution that spans more than thirty years. They are being adopted as the lateral load resisting system of a growing number of build-ings, primarily due to their suitability for moderate to severe seismic applica-tions. This paper outlines major milestones in steel plate shear wall research and then focuses on ongoing projects and potential future directions. The behavior of steel plate shear walls has been investigated using large-scale cyclic tests. The infill plates and the steel frame to which the infill plate is attached both play an important role in the ability of the steel plate shear wall to provide stiffness, lateral load resistance, and energy absorption. A recent test on a three-storey steel plate shear wall has shed more light on the behavior of this lateral load resisting system and the contributions from the infill plate and moment resisting frame. The results of this test are presented and discussed. Steel plate shear walls have also been used as a means of rehabilitating seismically deficient buildings. To date, there is little research work available specifically in the rehabilitation area. A project currently being conducted at the University of Alberta is described wherein steel infill panels are used to rehabilitate deficient concrete frames using steel connection collars. In addition to providing a means of connecting the infill plates to the concrete frame, the collars have been designed to confine and provide shear reinforcement to the concrete columns, thereby enhancing their ductility. The Canadian national standard for structural steel design is the leader in formulating the results of steel plate shear wall research into a codified format for designers. The upcoming (2001) edition of the standard will contain many updates as a result of recent research. An overview of these changes is presented. Many new ideas on ways to optimize the steel plate shear wall have recently come forth. The paper discusses some of the most promising configurations.
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