Development and experimental validation of a steel plate shear wall with self-centering energy dissipation braces

A new type of steel plate shear wall with self-centering energy dissipation braces (SPSW-SCEDB) was developed. Validation tests of the wall plate and the pre-pressed spring self-centering energy dissipation (PS-SCED) braces were conducted and a single-bay, single-story, 1:3-scale SPSW-SCEDB specimen was designed, fabricated, and tested under cyclic loadings. The results demonstrated that the SPSW-SCEDB exhibited a stable flag-shaped hysteretic response with high initial stiffness, appreciable ductility, and excellent self-centering and energy dissipation capabilities due to the synergistic effects of the wall plate and the PS-SCED braces. The proposed theoretical equations of the compressive force of the wall plate, the ultimate lateral load capacity, and the remaining restoring force of the SPSW-SCEDB were verified. The PS-SCED braces reduced the stiffness degradation of the wall plate and improved the lateral force resistance and the stability of the SPSW-SCEDB system. The wall plate provided more energy dissipation than the PS-SCED braces. The remaining restoring force of the PS-SCED braces should be as small as possible to maximize the energy dissipation of the PS-SCED braces while ensuring that it overcomes the compressive force of the wall plate.