INFLUENCE OF VERTICAL LOADS ON LATERAL RESISTANCE OF LIGHT-FRAME SHEAR WALLS

摘要

Building structures must be designed to adequately resist the vertical loads (dead, live and wind uplift) and the lateral loads (wind and seismic). In the latter case, shear and overturning forces and deflections occur in the building. In light-frame construction, it is diaphragms and shear walls that transfer these forces to the foundation through shear and hold-down restraint. The use of hold-down anchoring devices limits the overturning and therefore improves the lateral resistance of the system. However, these anchors are rarely used in the traditional light-frame construction and the resistance of such systems is largely unknown. One of the factors limiting the overturning of partially restrained walls is the action of the vertical gravity loads.