CE 479: DESIGN OF BUILDING

COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS

FALL 2012 J. LIU
Wood: Shear walls

Shearwalls

The vertical elements in the lateral force-resisting

system (LFRS)
Support the roof/floor diaphragms and transfer the
lateral forces into the foundations

http://www.jlconline.com/Images/LateralForce%20Collectors%20for%20Seismic%20and%20
Wind-Resistant%20Framing_tcm96-1095375.pdf

Materials
Most typically used to develop shear wall action:
Wood structural panels (e.g. plywood and oriented
strand board (OSB))
Lumber sheathing (diagonal or horizontal strips)

http://www.woodworking-online.com/images/image120.jpg

Materials

Might be adequate if design forces relatively small

Gypsum

wallboard (drywall)
Interior and exterior plaster (stucco)
Fiberboard (including fiber-cement panels)

Note: generally, interior partition walls neglected in

lateral force design

Basic Shear wall Action

Design Considerations

Sheathing thickness
Shear wall nailing
Chord design (tension and compression)
Collector (strut) design
Anchorage requirements (hold-downs and shear)
Shear panel proportions
Deflection

http://www.ehow.com/list_7192716_ubcwood-shear-wall-spacing.html

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/design/articles/how-it-works-shear-walls.aspx

Sheathing Thickness

Sheathing-type loads and spacing of wall studs

may determine thickness
Unit shear often controls
May also be governed by the required fire rating
of a wall
e.g.,

1-hour fire rating for 2x4 wall studs @16o.c.,

with 5/8 gypsum on the interior, and 5/8 Type X
gypsum sheathing & minimum 3/8 plywood siding
together on the outside.

Nailing, Chords, Collectors

Nailing
Function

of unit shear in the wall and

materials

Chords
As

with diaphragms, these are

designed to carry the moment
Required at both ends of a shear wall

Collector (strut)
Same

collector we discussed with

diaphragm design

Shearwall Proportions

Measured by height-to-width ratio, h/b

In buildings with two or more stories, the height, h, is
the vertical clear distance between diaphragms
IBC sets upper limits on h/b for various wall
sheathing materials used as shear walls
Shear walls satisfying h/b limits considered to be
better with regards to deflection control

Height-to-Width Ratios

IBC sets h/b limit for

wood structural panel
shear walls to 3.5 for
wind
(SDPWS

uses this limit,

blocked shear walls;
Table 4.3.4)

IBC sets h/b limit to

2.0 for seismic

Height-to-Width Ratios

For tables, may increase

h/b for seismic up to 3.5
provided that tabulated
allowable unit shears
reduced by multiplier
2bs/h (SDPWS 4.3.4.1)

Allowable Unit Shears

Tabulated values assume framing members are

Douglas Fir-Larch or Southern Pine
Adjustment

factors for other species given in footnote

Panels resisting wind loads are permitted to use unit

shear capacities 40% higher than for seismic
Note that tables are for short-term forces (wind and
seismic)
If

panels used to support loads of longer duration,

tabulated unit shear must be reduced

Allowable Unit Shears

LRFD use resistance factor

(SDPWS

= 0.80

Section 4.3.3)

Tabulated values apply to panels installed

vertically or horizontally
Assumed that all panel edges are supported by
and are edge nailed to wall studs or blocking

Unit Shears

Can be obtained with more than one layer on other

side of the wall
If same nail size and spacing is used, second layer
can double shear capacity of the wall

Unit Shears

Generally wall covering (gypsum wallboard,

plaster, stucco) capacity not additive to shear
capacity of wood structural panel sheathing
One exception is gypsum wallboard under wood
structural panel exterior (as in Table 4.3B)
Plywood siding can also be used

Unit Shears

Three Methods

Segmented shearwall (SDPWS 4.3.5.1)

Most common
Each segment designed separately

Design for force transfer around openings (SDPWS

4.3.5.2)
above and below openings designed as coupling beams
Requires special detailing around openings

Perforated shear wall method (SDPWS 4.3.5.3)

Semi-empirical method, like 2nd method but less detailing

requirements and with capacity adjustment factor for
openings (Table 4.3.3.5)

Segmented Shearwall

Force Transfer Around Openings

Perforated Shearwall

Shearwall Chord Members

Shearwall Chord Members

Shearwall Chord Members

Some designers will include overturning resistance

due to dead load; others neglect
Force in compression chord can be underestimated
when dead load neglected

Anchorage Considerations

Critical locations are where diaphragms connect to

shearwalls and where shearwalls tie into the
foundation
Commonly use tie-downs or hold-downs
(engineered prefabricated metal brackets)
Must consider:
Vertical

(gravity) loads
Lateral forces parallel to the wall
Lateral forces perpendicular to the wall

Anchorage

Shear Anchorage

Attachment of sheathing to bottom wall plate will

transfer shear to base of the wall
Anchor bolts are designed to transfer shear to
foundation

Anchorage for Perpendicular Force

Anchorage for Perpendicular Force

Must rely on nail connection between stud and

bottom wall plate, etc.

Deflection

SDPWS eq. C4.3.2-1

Deflection

Can also use SDPWS eq. 4.3-1 with Ga apparent

shear stiffness (including nail slip)