Study Of Lateral Performance Of Steel Frame With Fabricated Wall Panels

The infilled wall panels are still used as exterior-protected constructions in the current designing of low-rise steel construction building, without considering of their structure function. While, in fact, the panels can work together with the structure if proper constructional measures are made, which will increase the strength and stiffness of the whole structure. Considering that the advantageous effect of the infilled wall can make structural stress state more in accordance with the practical one, which also produces considerable economic advantage. So it is significant and practical to develop the effect of the wall panels at the aspect of lateral resistant performance of the structure.This paper adopts numerical model to simulate the steel frame structure with ALC wall panels by using ANSYS, a finite element software, based on the results of exist experiments. Hysteretic behaviors of the structure are intensive studied and compared, and working behaviors of the structure are furtherly discussed. Meanwhile, based on abundant results of numerical calculation, the factors and influencing mechanics of lateral resistance behavior of the steel frame with ALC panels are discussed from three aspects: arrangement form of the panels, fasteners and rebar ratio. The results show that the arrangement of the ALC wall panels have the greatest influence on ultimate bearing capacity and lateral stiffness of the structures, and the rebar ratio and numbers of the shear connections also play important roles in these lateral performances, but the hook bolt connections between wall panels and steel frame have no effect on impoving lateral performance of the structure basically. Then, the enhancement coefficient of the structure lateral stiffness is also obtained considering the effect of the factors mentioned above and the span of the steel frame.Finally, the mechanical property of ALC panels infilled steel frame with openings is studied, and the strengthening method, the influence of the area and the arrangement of openings are also researched.Some important conclusions are arrived through numerical simulation in this paper, which can provide valuable references for considering the useful role of the lateral performance of steel frame with ALC wall panels in the practical engineering.