The infill effect of sandwich panels (3D-panels) on the seismic behavior of steel frames

The sandwich panel walls are used as middle and curtain walls in the construction industry without analyzing their structural effects. But based on the few tests conducted by researchers, similar to other materials, sandwich panels can also have infill effect on steel frames. Therefore, paying attention to the effects of these panels on increasing the capacity and total stiffness of frames and evaluating the affecting parameters seem to be a necessity. The behavior of the sandwich panels in interaction with steel frames is investigated in this research using the finite element method and ABAQUS software. After validating the finite element model, the effects of different parameters such as the concrete coat thickness, the armature percentage of the steel mesh and the effect of openings on the infill performance of sandwich panels are investigated. The obtained results show that the capacity and stiffness of the frame are increased by increasing the concrete coat thickness but increasing the armature percentage has no effect on improving its performance due to the infill panel corner breakage and the premature crushing of the concrete coat.

Keywords:

Sandwich panel , Infill , Steel frame , Interaction between frame and infill , Finite element