Shearwall Model

The behavior of timber shearwalls is not completely understood. This thesis describes the development of a physical model for possible use in investigating the behavior of shearwalls when various parameters are changed. This research began with the testing to two full-scale shearwalls that were built and tested according to the ASTM E72 standard to examine their behavior under racking loads. Three smaller walls were then tested to see if they behaved in a manner similar to the full-scale walls. Once it was determined that the smaller walls provided a good model for full-scale wall behavior, three walls were built for the purpose of investigating shearwall behavior when some parameters were changed. Several of the parameters changed included nail spacing, wall length, and the effects of window-type openings