Shear Walls Maggie & Evan

Shear Walls are wall systems that transfer seismic waves from a roof or floor down to the lower levels and base

Shear Wall Basics

"Shear walls are efficient, both in terms of construction cost and effectiveness in minimizing earthquake damage in structural and non-structural elements (like glass windows and building contents"

Shear walls can almost act as braced wall panels if needed

Multiple types and shapes of shear walls

Shear walls can be both exterior or interior and there are multiple types of shear walls

Shear walls provide vertical elements of the horizontal force resisting system to counteract the horizontal forces of the earthquake.

Buildings will be impacted by both tension and compression forces. Shear walls help reduce the impact that these forces will have on the building.

Plane, flanged, and channel present

While these walls normally run the height of the building, some can be smaller if secured correctly. In our case the walls could be placed on the outer perimeter of the building to both satisfy the customer needs and improve the building structurally.

When the use of beams running all the way to the foundation is not possible, smaller shear walls can be supported by columns on a transfer beam. Our levels on our building can act as connecting slabs allowing this concept to work.
The best placement for the walls would be to symmetrically place them on the sides of the levels or attempt to use flanged walls to brace the corners of the levels (much harder)

Sources

http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/EQTips/EQTip23.pdf

http://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/shear-walls-structural-forms-positioning/6235/

Credits:

Created with images by Unsplash - "city urban perspective" • Wokandapix - "blueprint ruler architecture"

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