ABSTRACT
The first intervention proposal was due to Mo and Perng (2000), who tested RC frames reinforced with steel trapezoidal sheeting in order to estimate the effectiveness of these devices as upgrading system for absorbing lateral actions. The RC structure was represented by a simple frame, having width of 1125 mm and height of 900 mm, composed by 150 × 150 mm beams and columns. The tested panels had different thickness (0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 1.0 mm) and were connected to the frame members by bolts. Based on cyclic tests performed under quasi-static regime, the hysteretic response of shear panels was characterized by significant pinching effects. In the test carried out on the panel having thickness of 0.3 mm, the failure of the connection with the frame members was recorded, while panels with thickness of 0.4 and 0.5 mm exhibited a better plastic behaviour with ductility factor equal to 3.89 and 2.89. For the panel with thickness of 1.0 mm, it was observed a brittle failure mechanism, because the frame elements collapsed before the plate yielding. It was established that the panel thickness should be confined within a very strict range in order to avoid both the local collapse of panel-frame connections and the failure of the surrounding frame members. In addition, the small amount of dissipated energy due to large relative displacements between RC members and the panel made this system not appropriate to be used for practical design purposes, although its high potentialities was already demonstrated.
