Wood frame shear walls with metal plate connected framework

Abstract

The performance of wood frame shear walls directly affects the performance of wood frame structures during lateral loading events. Wood frame shear walls with increased resistance to extreme lateral loads as well as improved durability to multiple median lateral loads save many lives and significant amount of money spent in repair and replacement. The desire and need for an improved wood frame shear wall system that has increased performance and decreased or similar costs relative to conventional shear wall construction have led to the development of innovative technologies. Conventional wood frame shear walls are designed as vertical deep cantilever beams. The sheathing provides the shear resistance. The end studs, acting as tension and compression chords, provide the bending resistance. The interior wall studs are only employed to support the sheathing. Nailed connections between the top and bottom plates and wall studs are quite flexible. This connection flexibility prevents any moment to be developed in the studs. As a result, conventional shear wall resistance is governed by the nailed connections between the sheathing and dimension lumber framework. Toothed metal plate connectors provide semirigid connections that are able to resist moment. This moment resistance has been investigated and accounted for in truss design and may be incorporated into shear wall design.