Evaluation of Full-Scale House Testing Under Lateral Loading

Published Saturday, January 31, 2009

Numerous studies have been conducted to measure the lateral performance of low-rise light-frame structures. However, questions remain on correlating engineering design methods to actual building performance, both in the lab and in the field. The difference between calculated and observed performance is commonly attributed to the contribution of finishes and building details that allow the building to act as a complete system.

This study uses existing whole-house structural performance data to make inferences about the range of the system effect. It analyzes published results of whole-house tests to determine the magnitude of the system effects based on comparisons of the tested ultimate shear strength of a house and the ultimate strength (capacity) predicted by engineering calculations and current building codes.

The study was conducted in two phases. First, a comprehensive literature search for whole-house testing was performed. A total of 42 studies were identified and reviewed. Appendix A provides a tabulated summary of research on full-scale buildings and other three-dimensional (3D) systems. Second, the studies with sufficient information to enable comparison of the tested performance with engineering analysis were selected for a more detailed evaluation. 

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