Buckling and ultimate resistance of double-corrugated steel plates under in-plane shear load

The double-corrugated steel plate (DCSP) is a new type of structural member which is fabricated by cold-formed steel materials. It provides better stability and higher shear resistance than conventional single-corrugated steel plate (SCSP). Shear walls with DCSP infilled (D-CSPSWs) have good application potential in high-rise structures. Up to now, studies on D-CSPSWs are still limited and more research work is needed to determine the strength of DCSP. This paper presents a study on the shear buckling and ultimate strength of DCSP. Previous experiments were briefly summarized first to provide useful data for the verification of the subsequent analytical results. Then a reliable FE model of DCSP was established and carefully validated. By combining theoretical studies, numerical simulations and extensive parameter analyses, the buckling strength and ultimate shear strength of DCSP were revealed and corresponding prediction methods were developed. It is found that the local buckling stress of DCSP is mainly affected by the ratio of the plate’s thickness to the maximum width of subpanels. The global buckling stress of DCSP is greatly related to the connecting bolt’s spacings. The theoretical formulae of the elastic local buckling and global buckling strength were developed by considering the realistic boundary condition of the subpanels and introducing the enhancement coefficient, respectively. Corrugation height, plate thickness and bolt density have considerable influence on the ultimate shear strength. A prediction method is proposed and it can provide reasonable and conservative predictions for the ultimate shear strength of DCSP.