Friday, December 7, 2007

Re: Perforated shear walls

Do the full height wall piers of the perforated shear wall still have to conform to the 3.5:1 (wind) and 2:1 (seismic) height to width ratios?  There is a project by my gym that has walls that do not meet the height to width ratios but each full height panel had a hold down on each end.  For example, the walls in question are about 14'-0" tall and there are four panels on this particular wall that are only 2'-0" long, each 2'-0" shear panel has a hold down on each end.  Has this been engineered as a perforated shear wall? Maybe the engineer used uplift straps instead of the anchor bolts to resist the unit uplift force?  

 

Jeff Hedman , E.I.T.

L.R. Pope Engineers & Surveyors, Inc.

1240 East 100 South Suite # 15B

St. George, Utah  84790

Office: 435-628-1676

Fax: 435-628-1788

email: jeff_h@lrpope.com