Civil Engineering Association

DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN METHODOLOGYFORSTEELFRAME/WOOD PANEL SHEAR WALLS

It is anticipated that the construction of homes and multiple storey buildings which
incorporate light gauge steel frame I wood panel shear walls as primary lateral load
resisting elements will increase across Canada in coming years. This includes sites
that have a relatively high seismic risk, such as found along the West Coast of
British Columbia and in the Ottawa and St. Lawrence River Valleys. With this rise
in construction activity comes an accompanying increase in the probability that a
light gauge steel frame structure will be subjected to the demands of a severe
earthquake. Currently, guidelines for engineers with which the design of laterally
loaded light gauge steel frame I wood panel shear walls can be carried out are not
available in Canada. For this reason an extensive shear wall research program has
been undertaken at McGill University.
This thesis provides details on the 109 specimen main testing program as well as a
summary of past wood frame and steel frame shear wall research. An extensive
review of existing data interpretation methodologies is presented. The equivalent
energy elastic-plastic (EEEP) technique is chosen as most suitable for the wall
systems under study to deduce key design parameters including the yield wall
resistance, elastic stiffness, and system ductility. It is recommended that the EEEP
methodology be implemented for all future steel frame I wood panel shear wall
data interpretation. The calibration of a resistance factor for use with the limit
states design philosophy consistent with the upcoming draft version of the 2005
National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) is also presented.
It was found that a resistance factor (<l>) of 0.7 provided sufficient reliability and a
reasonable factor of safety under the NBCC wind loading case. Final nominal
strength and unit elastic stiffness values for use in design are presented in tabular
format according to given perimeter fastener schedules. Finally, recommendations
for future research and testing are outlined.