Practical Modeling for Wind Load Paths in a Realistic Light-Frame Wood House
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 28, Issue 3
Abstract
The objective of this study was to develop and validate practical modeling methods for investigating load paths and system behavior in a realistic light-frame wood structure. The modeling methods were validated against full-scale tests on subassemblies and an L-shaped house. The model of the L-shaped house was then modified and used to investigate the effects of reentrant corners, wall openings, and gable-end retrofits on system behavior and load paths. Results showed that the effects of adding reentrant corners and wall openings on uplift load distributions were dependent on the orientation of the trusses with respect to the walls. Openings added to walls parallel to the trusses have the least effect on loads carried by the remaining walls in the building. Varying reentrant corner dimensions under design wind loads caused increasing degrees of torsion throughout the house depending on the relative location and stiffness of the in-plane walls (parallel to the wind loads) and the assumed direction of the wind loads. Balancing the stiffness of the walls on either side of the house with the largest reentrant corner helped to decrease torsion in the structure under lateral loads. Finally, although previous full-scale tests on gable-end sections verified the effectiveness of the gable-end retrofit that was recently adopted into recent Florida building code, questions remained about the effects of the retrofit on torsion in a full building. The current study found that adding the gable-end retrofits to the L-shaped house did not cause additional torsion.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
Previous research contributions from Kenneth Martin, Dr. Phillip Paevere, and Dr. Bohumil Kasal were greatly appreciated. Funding from the Oregon State University Center for Wood Utilization Research is also appreciated.
References
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). (2005a). “ASD/LRFD NDS national design specification for wood construction (NDS).” ANSI/AF&PA NDS-2005, Washington, DC.
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). (2005b). “Special design provisions for wind and seismic.” ANSI/AF&PA SDPWS-2005, Washington, DC.
ASCE. (2005). “Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures.” ASCE/SEI 7-05, New York.
Collins, M., Kasal, B., Paevere, P., and Foliente, G. C. (2005). “Three-dimensional model of light frame wood buildings. I: Model description.” J. Struct. Eng., 676–683.
Computers and Structures. (2009). CSI analysis reference manual: For SAP2000, ETABS and SAFE, Berkeley, CA.
Dolan, J. D., and Johnson, A. C. (1996) “Monotonic tests of long shear walls with openings.” Rep. TE-1996-001, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ. Timber Engineering, Blacksburg, VA.
Doudak, G. (2005). “Field determination and modeling of load paths in wood light-frame structures.” Ph.D. thesis, McGill Univ., Montreal.
Engineered Wood Products Association of Australia. (2009). “Structural plywood and LVL design manual.” EWPAA design guides, 〈http://www.ed.ewp.asn.au/Public_Access/Library/library_search.aspx?criteria=design&type=All〉 (Jul. 19, 2012).
Gypsum Association. (2010). “Gypsum board typical mechanical and physical properties.” GA 235-10, Gypsum Association, Hyattsville, MD.
Holmes, J. D. (2001). Wind loading of structures, Spon Press, New York.
International Code Council (ICC). (2011). Florida building code 2010—Residential, Country Club Hills, IL.
Kasal, B. (1992). “A nonlinear three-dimensional finite-element model of a light-frame wood structure.” Ph.D. thesis, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR.
Martin, K. G., Gupta, R., Prevatt, D. O., Datin, P. L., and van de Lindt, J. W. (2011). “Modeling system effects and structural load paths in a wood-framed structure.” J. Archit. Eng., 134–143.
Mehta, K. C., and Coulbourne, W. L. (2010). Wind loads: Guide to the wind load provisions of ASCE 7-05, ASCE, Reston, VA.
Nairn, J. (2007). “OSULaminates.” 〈http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/wse/faculty/Nairn/OSULaminates.html〉 (Jul. 31, 2012).
Paevere, P. (2002). “Full-scale testing, modeling and analysis of light-frame structures under lateral loading.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Paevere, P. J., Foliente, G. C., and Kasal, B. (2003). “Load-sharing and redistribution in a one-story woodframe building.” J. Struct. Eng., 1275–1284.
Patton-Mallory, M., Gutkowski, R. M., and Solstis, L. A. (1984). “Racking performance of light-frame walls sheathed on two sides.” FPL-448, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI.
Pfretzschner, K. S. (2012). “Practical modeling for load paths in a realistic, light-frame wood house.” M.S. thesis, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR.
Phillips, T. L., Itani, R. Y., and McLean, D. I. (1993). “Lateral load sharing by diaphragms in wood-framed buildings.” J. Struct. Eng., 1556–1571.
Prevatt, D. O., et al. (2012). “Building damage observations and EF classifications from the Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, MO tornadoes.” Structures Congress 2012, ASCE, Reston, VA, 999–1010.
Seaders, P. (2004). “Performance of partially and fully anchored wood frame shear walls under monotonic, cyclic and earthquake loads.” M.S. thesis, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR.
Shivarudrappa, R., and Nielson, B. G. (2011) “Sensitivity of load distribution in light-framed wood roof systems due to typical modeling parameters.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil., 222–234.
Simpson Strong-Tie. (2014). “HDB/HD holdowns.” 〈http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/HDB-HD.asp#〉 (Mar. 12, 2014).
Suksawang, N., and Mirmiran, A. (2009). “Hurricane loss reduction for housing in Florida: Performance of gable end wall bracing retrofit for hurricane protection, phase II.” 〈http://www.ihrc.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HLMP_Year09_Section4_GableEndBracing_RCMP08-09.pdf〉 (Jul. 22, 2012).
van de Lindt, J. W., et al. (2007). “Performance of wood-frame structures during Hurricane Katrina.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil., 108–116.
Wolfe, R. W., and McCarthy, M. (1989). “Structural performance of light frame roof assemblies—I. Truss assemblies with high truss stiffness variability.” FPL-RP-492, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI.
Wolfe, R. W., Percival, D. H., and Moody, R. C. (1986). “Strength and stiffness of light framed sloped trusses.” FPL-RP-471, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 28 • Issue 3 • June 2014
Pages: 430 - 439
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 18, 2012
Accepted: Feb 25, 2013
Published online: Feb 27, 2013
Published in print: Jun 1, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.