Cyclic tests of interlocking cross laminated timber shear walls were conducted to determine hysteretic behavior under lateral load and the effect of anchorage on wall strength. Four 3.05-m tall by 2.44-m long by 288-mm wide shear wall specimens were constructed. Two types of let-in braces (rectangular and dove tailed) and two types of distributed anchor configurations (conventional and a withdrawal type connection) were examined. Shear walls without end anchorage (hold-downs) were compared to shear walls with 14-gauge and 12-gauge strap hold-downs. All specimens successfully resisted cyclic loading up to approximately 2.5% story drift without significant degradation in strength and stiffness. Walls with withdrawal type distributed anchorage increase the lateral strength compared to walls with the conventional configuration of distributed anchorage. The test results showed that hold-down straps increased the wall lateral strength by a factor of two compared to shear walls with only conventionally distributed anchorage.
