A parametric study on seismic characteristics of cold-formed steel shear walls by finite element modeling

Shear wall panels, including cold-formed steel frames and its attached sheathing, are common lateral load resisting systems of cold-formed steel structures. In this paper, the finite element method is used to study the lateral performance of shear wall panels. The finite element model is validated against experimental results of other researchers. Using the validated model, a parametric study is described to determine strength, drift and seismic behavior of the shear wall panels. Based on the results, it is concluded that the initial stiffness and ultimate lateral strength are dramatically affected by the thickness of the frame members, type of sheathing material, edge screw spacing, height of the frame, while some parameters such as field screw spacing have a minor effect on the initial stiffness and the ultimate lateral strength. In addition, this study looks into the earthquake performance of the shear wall panels and presents the corresponding ductility factor and force reduction factor (R-factor) of shear wall panels.