A plastic model for partially anchored timber frame walls subjected to shear and bending

Abstract

The design of multi-storey buildings utilising timber frame walls with partial anchorage often requires an iterative process to calculate the shear capacity of the walls. Partial anchorage, in this instance, refers to the situation where a wall is connected to the underlying structure by fasteners distributed along the base of the wall and where tension forces between the studs and the base are not resisted by tie-down connections. The presented offset force model, evaluating the shear capacity of a single wall element, is a variation of the lower-bound plastic model developed by Källsner and Girhammar. The method allows for a separation of the individual wall height from the height of application of the resultant horizontal force, thereby significantly simplifying the calculation process.