Experiments on cold‐formed steel sheathing‐to‐frame connections under angled shear loading

Abstract

This paper is part of a larger investigation of the constructability of mid‐rise buildings constructed entirely using cold‐formed steel for the primary frame and secondary members. Obtaining sufficient lateral stiffness of these buildings is a major challenge and is usually achieved by using innovative designs of shear panels made from cold‐formed steel framing and sheathing, for which the screw connections between the sheathing and framing members are a major source of flexibility. Due to the complexity of the connection failure mechanism, it is desirable to isolate the connection from the entire shear wall assembly and perform independent connection tests. The objective of this study is to investigate the behaviours of the screw connections between steel sheathing and framing members, in which screws are subjected to shear forces at various angles relative to the sheathing's free edge. A total of 18 screw connection configurations were tested. The experimental parameters include (1) sheathing thicknesses of 0.55mm and 1.10mm; (2) sheathing orientations, either parallel or perpendicular to the rolling direction; and (3) loading angles relative to the sheathing free edge of 0°, 22.5°, and 45°. The test results indicate that the loading angle affects the stiffness and strength of the connection.