Theoretical evaluation of yielding shear panel device for passive energy dissipation

Metal yielding devices have been used in structures for decades to absorb earthquake energy whereby damages to the major structural components could be minimised. A recent technique to exploit the shear deformation of thin metal plates to dissipate energy has given rise to a new yielding shear panel device (YSPD); a thin steel plate is welded within steel a square hollow section (SHS) to form the device. Laboratory test results showed the potential of YSPD in energy dissipation. The behaviour of YSPD is determined by a complex interaction among the thin diaphragm plate, the surrounding SHS and the boundary conditions i.e. the structural elements that connect the device to the parent structure. This paper investigates the load-deformation response of YSPD and proposes a theoretical model to predict the experimental behaviour using the knowledge of the geometry of YSPD and the properties of the material. Previously proposed analytic method based only on the shear deformation of the diaphragm plate is revisited; appropriate modifications are proposed to include the effects of the deformations observed in the SHS and the obvious rotation of the loading plate. A tri-linear load-deformation model is proposed herein and the predictions obtained from the numerical models are compared with the available test results.