Shear buckling and ultimate capacity of steel plates coupled with cover panels

The effects of concrete, plaster and polystyrene precast cover panels on the buckling and postbuckling behaviors of slender steel plates subjected to in-plane shear loads are investigated. Precast cover panels are principally used for acoustic and thermal insulation in structural members such as steel plate shear walls. These cover panels, in unison; provide lateral constraints to the buckling induced out-of-plane deformations of plates. Parametric studies on the effects of material and thickness of cover panels on nonlinear behavior of plates under shear loads are performed via finite element simulations. The results show that bilateral cover panels can considerably influence the buckling mode shapes and ultimate loads of slender plates. In addition, cover panels which possess sufficient flexural rigidity, force plates to enter their full plastic state and dissipate their associated maximum energy.

► Effects of cover panels on buckling of steel shear plates investigated.
► Cover panels are more effective in more slender plates.
► Cover panels may deform or crack ‎while imposing buckling mode changes.
► Stiff covers can fully restrain plates and force them to enter their full plastic state.