Finite element modeling of steel-plate concrete composite wall piers

•Development of a numerical model in LS-DYNA to simulate the nonlinear cyclic response of SC walls.•Validation of the developed model using data from tests of four large-scale rectangular SC walls.•Presentation of the model predictions including global and local responses.•Investigation of the impact of modeling assumptions on response and explore design decisions.

A finite element model is developed in LS-DYNA to simulate the nonlinear cyclic response of flexure-critical steel-plate concrete (SC) composite shear walls. The developed finite element model is validated using data from tests of four large-scale SC wall piers with an aspect ratio (height-to-length) of 1.0. Each SC wall was constructed with steel faceplates, infill concrete, steel studs and tie rods, and a steel baseplate that was post-tensioned to a reinforced concrete foundation. Steel studs tied the faceplates to the infill concrete and the infill concrete to the baseplate. Damage to the SC walls included cracking and crushing of the infill concrete and yielding, outward buckling and tearing of the steel faceplates. The finite element predictions include global force–displacement responses, equivalent viscous damping ratio, damage to the steel faceplates and infill concrete, strain and stress distributions in the steel faceplates, and estimates of the contribution of the steel faceplates and infill concrete to the lateral resistance of the walls. The DYNA-predicted responses are in good agreement with the measured responses. The impacts of interface friction between the steel faceplates and the infill concrete, and of the distribution of shear studs on the baseplate, to the global response of the SC walls are investigated using the validated DYNA model.