Testing and numerical analysis on cold-formed steel shear walls using corrugated steel sheathing

Abstract

Cold-formed steel framed shear wall sheathed with corrugated steel sheets is a promising shear wall system for low- and mid-rise constructions at high wind and seismic zones due to its advantages of non-combustibility, high shear strength, and high shear stiffness. Monotonic and cyclic tests on full-scale wall assemblies using corrugated steel sheathing was conducted. To investigate the effect of vertical/gravity loading, shear wall specimens were tested under two different loading conditions: lateral loading, and a combined lateral and vertical/gravity loading. The test results are presented and discussed in this paper. Besides, finite element model of the proposed shear wall was created in Abaqus software. The validity of the numerical model was verified based on the test results. A series of parametric analysis were conducted, including the thickness of framing members, the cross section of stud members, yield strength of the frame members, stud spacing, and the influence of gravity loads. The detailed modeling information, relevant parametric analysis and recommendations for practical application of this type of shear resisting system are also presented.