Performance of Shear Wall Composed of LVL and Cement Fiber Board Sheathing

Abstract

In this study, an experiment on shear walls has been carried out to determine structural reliability; this is necessary information for practitioners when constructing non-engineered houses or earthquake-resistant residential buildings. Analytical and numerical analyses have also been conducted, to establish an appropriate method to estimate the performance of this kind of structure that can be used in the future. A 3D specimen made of a Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) structural frame sheathed by Fiber Cement Board (CFB) with shear wall elements embedded in the wall without openings, termed Type 36 hereafter, was tested in the study. Static push and pull cyclic load was applied at the top of the specimen to simulate the seismic load.The study found that the Non-Engineered earthquake resistant Type 36 house needs two shear wall panels without openings; these walls act as structural elements, to resist seismic force, at the zone with the highest risk of earthquake in Indonesia.The structural system consisting of wood and cement-based building materials, shows sufficient resistance to earthquake, and so the shear wall panel can be used as a structural element in houses and earthquake-resistant residential buildings.