LATERAL PERFORMANCE OF LIGHT-FRAME WOOD SHEAR WALLS WITH OVERSIZED WOOD STRUCTURAL PANELS

YARED ANBESSO

doi:10.7273/000007215

This study investigates improvements to lateral performance of light-frame wood shear walls using oversized sheathing panels with different nail configurations and edge spacings. The effect of using oversized wood structural panels has been evaluated by numerical finite element analysis and validated by series of experimental tests in isolated wood shear walls. The parameters such as elastic stiffness, load capacity, energy dissipation, and ductility, which are critical for lateral performance of any lateral load resisting systems, were investigated for shear walls with both oversized and regular sized panels. The experimental test results of shear walls with oversized wood structural panels, which were 4-ft wide and 9-ft high, with corner hold-downs, a 3/4-inch nail edge distance, and two rows of nails connecting the sheathing to the plate and rim joist, exhibited a 37% increase in lateral load capacity, a 16% increase in elastic stiffness, and a 29% improvement in energy dissipation compared to wood shear walls with regular-sized wood structural panels with the nail and sheathing configuration recommended by 2021 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) standard. Furthermore, the advanced software Timber3D (using MCASHEW program) was used to numerically model wood shear walls with regular-sized and oversized wood structural panels. The results from numerical models and finite element analysis matched the experimental results with a deviation of less than 5% for the shear walls with oversized panels and 15% for the shear walls with regular-sized panels, thereby validating the numerical model to be used for evaluating the lateral performance of shear walls with oversized panels with different nail spacing and configuration. A comparative analysis of experimental test results against the 2021 SDPWS standard of the National Design Specification (NDS) indicates that oversized shear wall panels with 6-inch edge and 12-inch field nail configurations exhibited a 35% increase in capacity, while 4-inch edge and 12-inch field configurations showed a 33% enhancement, relative to SDPWS values for regular-sized panels. In conclusion, implementing cost-effective modifications in light-frame wood shear wall construction by using oversized panels (i.e., 4-ft x 9-ft) and two rows of nails at the top and bottom of the panels, can significantly increase strength and stiffness of the lateral load resisting system, reduce the cost of construction, and offer more openings in exterior walls of light-frame wood structures. This research also offers a great solution for retrofitting existing buildings by using wood structural panels with oversized panels on exterior side of existing wood frame structures.

LATERAL PERFORMANCE OF LIGHT-FRAME WOOD SHEAR WALLS WITH OVERSIZED WOOD STRUCTURAL PANELS

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