Numerical non-linear behaviour of Aluminium Perforated Shear Walls: A parametric study

Aluminium Plate Shear Walls (APSWs) are innovative systems able to confer to either new or existing structures a significant capacity to resist earthquake and wind loads. Many tests have shown that these devices may exhibit high strength, initial stiffness and ductility, as well as an excellent ability to dissipate energy. When full APSWs are used as bracing device of buildings, they may induce excessive stresses in the surrounding main structure where they are inserted, so to require the adoption of large cross-section profiles. For this reason, perforated panels, which are weakened by holes aiming at limiting the actions transmitted to the surrounding frame members, represent a valid alternative to full panels. In this work, aiming at showing the advantages of such devices, a FEM model of perforated panels has been calibrated on the basis of recent experimental tests. Subsequently, a parametric FEM analysis on different series of aluminium perforated panels, by changing the number and diameter of the holes, as well as the plate thickness, has been carried out with the aim to individuate the maximum shear strength offered by such devices with different opening percentages.