THEORETICAL and EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION of TIMBER-FRAMED PARTITIONS under LATERAL DRIFT

Abstract

This paper identifies the inherent strengths/weaknesses of rigid timber-framed partitions and quantifies the onset drifts for different damage thresholds under a unidirectional quasi-static cyclic loading. It reports construction and testing of a multi-winged timber-framed partition wall specimen, with details typical of New Zealand construction practice. As the tested subassembly included four partition wall wings oriented along four different directions, bi-directional performance of the tested wall system could be assessed despite the loading being unidirectional. Furthermore, the tested rigid timber-framed partition wall’s cyclic performance is also compared with that of similar partition walls incorporating "partly-sliding" connection details and "seismic gaps", previously tested under the same test setup. Theoretical equations proposed/derived in the literature to predict the ultimate strength, initial stiffness, and onset drifts of different damage states are scrutinized based on the experimentally recorded cyclic performance measures. Some equations are updated in order to alleviate identified possible shortcomings. These theoretical estimates are then validated with the experimental results. It is found that the equations can reasonably predict the initial stiffness and ultimate shear strength of the partitions, as well as the onset-drifts corresponding to the screw damage and diagonal buckling failure mode of the plasterboard.