Dynamic Testing of Single- and Double-Story Steel-Sheathed Cold-Formed Steel-Framed Shear Walls

Abstract

This paper describes an experimental investigation of steel-sheathed cold-formed steel-framed shear walls by means of dynamic shake table tests. The objective was to evaluate the seismic performance and to identify whether the shear-wall behavior was consistent with past static tests, to obtain measures of damping and natural period of vibration, to investigate the influence of a second story, and to validate and improve the accuracy of the numerically predicted force-deformation response. The scope of study comprised five single-story and five double-story walls of the platform framing technique. Each wall was subjected to a suite of excitations: impact test to measure the linear-viscous damping ratio, harmonic excitation to estimate the natural period of vibration, and ground motions representative of the seismic hazard in Canada. An overview is presented of the test setup and dynamic loading protocols, as well as the test results and numerical model.