Project contact is Y.H. Chui at the University of Alberta
Summary
Wood shear wall systems with insulated sheathing are commonly implemented to meet a higher standard of building energy efficiency. Adding a layer of continuous thermal insulation exterior to the cavity insulation, insulated sheathing, to reduce thermal bridging is getting more popular in practice. The impact of the intermediated insulation on racking performance of shear walls has recently been investigated by experimental studies. The test data provides better understanding on the influence of various construction configurations. Nevertheless, there is a need to provide an alternative approach which enables engineers to calculate the design capacities of shear walls with insulated sheathing. In this project, the available analytical models and approaches for determining shear resistances of shear walls are reviewed and compared. A new modified analytical model will be developed based on comparisons and the test results.
Currently the massive timber shear walls are mainly made from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), which possesses a high in-plane shear strength and rigidity. But only part of its elements (mainly the vertically aligned laminae) are engaged in carrying the vertical load and that could be a limitation when designing taller timber structures or wherever higher...
