Review and Preliminary Evaluation of the Performance of Weather Resistive Barriers Under Seismic Induced Light Frame Wall Deformations

Air, water, and vapor barriers, collectively referred to as weather resistive barriers (WRB), are an essential component of the modern building envelope system. If water passes through the WRB to the interior of the wall assembly, a moist environment is created around framing members and interior drywall, leading to decay and mold growth. Therefore, in order to protect against the adverse structural and health effects associated with moisture entrapment in the wall assembly, the WRB must be protected against tear and puncture, maintaining a proper air and waterproofing layer. One concern that has arisen amongst engineers is the capacity of the WRB to resist tearing when the light-frame wall assembly, including sheathing, is subjected to seismic induced racking displacements. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the serviceability and ultimate performance of the WRBs, and characterize the potential failure mechanisms based on available literature and test results.