Monotonic shear tests of cold-formed steel wall frames with sheathing

► Cold-formed steel wall stud assemblies are generally used as major load-carrying and shear-resistance units in the light-weight steel constructions. ► There is a lack of available data to create a design, because of the complexity of wall framing system. ► This research focused on the study of the stiffness, energy absorption, and ductility ratio of cold-formed steel framing wall, as well as the influence of strength affected by the sheathing material under monotonic shear loading condition. ► An equation to predict the ultimate shear strength of cold-formed steel framing wall is proposed in this paper, and the suggested ductility ratios of the wall sheathed with calcium silicate board, gypsum board, or oriented-strand board are also proposed in this study.