Influence of Fire on the Shear Capacity of Cold-Formed Steel Framed Shear Walls

Abstract

This paper presents experimental investigations of the performance of common lateral force-resisting systems used in cold-formed steel construction under sequential thermal (fire) and mechanical (earthquake) loading. Wall specimens with gypsum-sheet steel composite sheathing, Oriented Strand Board (OSB) sheathing, or steel strap bracing were tested. The results demonstrate that the lateral capacity of wall systems can be reduced by exposure to fire. Additionally, fire performance of wall systems can be affected by pre-damage to the fire-resistive components that provide fire protection to these walls. The results are useful for fire compartmentation design when significant lateral deformation of a building is anticipated and post-fire assessment to repair or replace a structure. The study represents a step toward developing fire fragility functions for cold-formed steel framed shear wall systems to enable performance-based fire design

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