HSSW Introduction
High-Stiffness Steel Wall (HSSW) efficiently combines high-strength external steel plates with infilled concrete. Based on steel-concrete composite action, it provides high lateral stiffness and load-bearing capacity for tall and long-span structures under multi-level earthquakes, strong wind, and other extreme loading conditions.
Basic Principle
HSSW is a composite lateral-force-resisting member formed by two external steel plates and an infilled concrete core. Compared with traditional steel plate shear walls, the concrete core restrains out-of-plane buckling of the steel plates, allowing the plates to carry force through stable shear yielding. Compared with traditional concrete shear walls, the external steel plates confine the concrete and improve compressive strength and deformation capacity. The two materials work together to deliver higher initial lateral stiffness within the same wall thickness.
Product Features
Steel Plate Shear Mechanism
High-strength steel plates carry the main horizontal shear force. Plate thickness can be configured from 6 mm to 40 mm, and steel yield strength can cover Q235 to Q550. During earthquakes, the plates yield first and dissipate energy through stable shear hysteresis.
Concrete Compression Mechanism
The infilled concrete carries vertical compression and bending effects, with compressive strength grades from C30 to C80. Special detailing keeps steel and concrete working together throughout the full loading process.
High Stiffness
The composite action reduces the buckling sensitivity of pure steel walls and the stiffness degradation of cracked concrete walls, helping release more usable area within the same building outline.
Reliable Seismic Resilience
Plastic energy dissipation of the steel plates combines high stiffness with good ductility. The hysteresis behavior is stable, and the ultimate drift capacity can exceed code demand for comparable systems.
Application Scenarios
HSSW is suitable for building structures that require high lateral stiffness and reliable energy dissipation, including tall buildings, long-span structures, and projects exposed to strong wind or high seismic demand.