Testing and modelling of shearwalls studded with small-diameter round timber under cyclic lateral load

As a forestry by-product mainly from thinning of the artificial forests, small-diameter round timber is not suitable for structural members due to its low quality. For use in structural applications, a kind of shearwall utilising small-diameter round timber in the form of built-up studs was developed. To investigate the structural behaviour of the shearwalls, 15 full size specimens with different configurations were manufactured and tested under cyclic lateral loading. The failure modes of the shearwalls were observed and the hysteresis curves obtained. The lateral resistance, stiffness and displacement capacity were evaluated. An FE model of the shearwalls was then developed using ABAQUS, and the structural behaviour simulated. FE modelling and testing of the shearwalls correlated closely. The results of this study showed that the developed shearwalls performed quite well under cyclic lateral load, with sufficient lateral resistance for use in light wood frame construction.