Shearwalls Intro

Introduction

Shear walls comprise the vertical elements in the lateral force resisting system (LFRS) for many structures. They support the horizontal diaphragms and transfer the resultant forces from the applied lateral loads into the foundation. A shear wall is essentially a deep, thin cantilevered beam projecting from the foundation that is subjected to one or more lateral forces, such as those due to wind or seismic activity. As the name implies, the basic form of resistance is that of a shear-element. When designing wood shear walls, the following components should be considered:

1. Sheathing thickness and grade

2. Shear wall nailing

3. Chord design

4. Strut or Collector design

5. Aspect ratio

6. Anchorage

7. Deflection

Before beginning a discussion on the design of shear walls, let us first look at the load path for lateral forces in a simple low-rise wood-frame building.

Load Path Demo

Topics of this module include:

Load Path, Segmented Design Method, UBC Design Table, Wall Shear, Dimension Ratios, Chord Design,
Anchorage, Deflection, Perforated Design Method, Method Comparison, Shearwall Failures