Response of CFS Sheathed Shear Walls

The adoption of cold-formed steel (CFS) profiles for residential buildings started in USA. Positive experiences in this field took place in other countries such as Australia, Canada and Japan. In Italy, where traditionally steel in residential buildings has a rather limited application, this type of construction has not yet found a significant use. The University of Trento has recently been involved in a research project focusing on the development of an innovative industrialized housing system composed of cold-formed steel profiles. In this framework, a study of the response of CFS shear walls was performed. The experimental part of the study comprised tests on the bare steel skeleton and on framed walls sheathed with cement board panels. Reversed cyclic testing of representative walls subjected to in-plane lateral and vertical loads was carried out. The main features of the experimental study and the main results are presented and discussed. The performances of the different typologies of shear walls are compared in terms of resistance, stiffness, ductility parameters and energy dissipation capacity. The paper in its final part, focuses on the results of a study of the effectiveness of analytical methods available in literature and developed for wooden shear panels, for a reliable evaluation of the response of CFS shear walls.