Cyclic Behavior of Shear Links of Various Grades of Plate Steel

Plate steel shear links offer enhanced design freedom, including the ability to use steel grades that are not available in rolled shapes. This paper discusses the cyclic response of five types of shear links designed using steel grades that ranged from 485 to 100 MPa yield strength. The design and subsequent performance was categorized into two groups; conventional design and those designed without stiffeners using low yield point steels. Ductile failure modes and desirable hysteretic behavior that resulted in efficient cyclic energy dissipation were observed for all specimens. The links designed without stiffeners using low yield point steel reached shear deformations exceeding 0.20 rad, outperforming the conventional designs that exhibited approximately 0.12 rad capacity. The enhanced performance was the result of shifting the failure mode by excluding intermediate stiffeners and providing low web compactness. This combination eliminated welding and decreased measured plastic strain demands on the face of the inelastically deforming webs.