Cyclic Loading Tests for Cold-Formed Steel Wall Frames with Lightweight Concrete

Abstract

Lightweight steel framing is a method in housing and construction that have been widely used in lightweight steel construction. In this method, the structure is built by cold formed steel elements. They are cost-effective, light, and easy to assemble. However, the performance of lateral load resisting systems in cold-formed steel structures specially the behavior of cold-formed steel shear walls filled with lightweight structural concrete under seismic loads has not been studied in detail. In this study, an experimental investigation on cold-formed steel frames filled with lightweight structural concrete has been conducted and the results are presented. Six full-scale cold-formed steel frames filled with lightweight structural concrete with two different configurations were studied. The test was performed under a standard cyclic loading regime. This study is focused on the ultimate lateral load capacity and seismic response modification factor of cold-formed steel walls filled with lightweight concrete subjected to cyclic loads. Based on the test observation, detailed discussions on the failure modes of cold-formed steel wall specimens are given. Finally, shear load resistance, seismic response modification factor, failure modes, energy dissipation and stiffness of tested shear walls are proposed and discussed. The results show that although lower height to width ratio leads to a greater shear load resistant, energy dissipation, and stiffness for shear wall filled with lightweight concrete, its seismic modification factor is lower than those shear walls, which have higher height to width ratio.