Composite steel plate shear walls represent a relatively recent innovation in lateral load resisting systems, warranting further investigation across various aspects to refine design guidelines for enhanced robustness and reliability. This study aims to examine the sensitivity of composite wall performance to variations in material and geometric properties of its constituents. Four key variables related to geometry and material properties—specifically, the thickness of the infill steel plate, thickness of the concrete panel, compressive strength of concrete, and yield strength of steel—are considered. The extent and manner of influence of each variable on the shear strength of the system are investigated numerically. Finite element modeling within the Abaqus software package is employed, and validation is performed through comparison with experimental test results from the literature. Subsequently, new models are developed and analyzed. Through evaluation of 60 models encompassing different combinations of values for the selected influential parameters, their impact on the performance of the composite shear wall system is examined. Results indicate that geometric properties exert a greater influence than material properties on the overall system performance. For instance, increasing the thickness of the steel plate from 5 to 10 mm led to an average 20 to 25 percent enhancement in shear strength, whereas a comparable increase of 3 to 5 percent was observed with rising yield strength of the infill plate material. Additionally, the system demonstrates high sensitivity to changes in geometric variables, particularly the thickness of concrete panels, which significantly affect system response. Increasing panel thickness up to 70 to 80 mm resulted in an approximately 20 percent enhancement in shear strength.

Keywords