Constructional Features of the Stiffness of Shearwalls in Lightweight Steel Framed Buildings

Abstract For low-rise buildings frame technologies using lightweight thin-wall steel constructions have become significantly widespread. The main influence on a building’s spatial rigidity under lateral forces is taken by shearwalls. The necessary stiffness can be accomplished by setting definite constructional parameters that are selected according to the design approach. The purposes of the work are to receive the dependencies of the influence of the constructional features on the stiffness of the shearwalls (using FEM models) and to set the value of the stiffness of the shearwall of any configuration by linking its parameters with the corresponding parameters of a standard shearwall through the established dependencies. The received dependencies of the effect of the main constructional factors and design approach for the stiffness of shear-walls can be used to provide spatial rigidity. A simplified design approach for estimating the influence of the main constructional features of shearwalls on their rigidity has been developed.