Shear panels, also known as shear walls or braced panels, are walls designed to resist lateral stresses caused by earthquakes and high winds. They are constructed by bolting side supports to the exterior framing of a building, along with interior joists in the floor and roof. Shear panels must be strong and rigid to be effective, and many building codes require their use for safety reasons. They are critical to the structural integrity of a building, especially in regions where high winds and earthquakes are rare. Structures with many windows may require more shear panels to create a strong core.
A shear panel is a wall in a structure that is designed to resist lateral stresses, ensuring that the structure remains sound even when subjected to violent shear movements. Lateral shear is especially common in earthquakes, when structures are tossed back and forth as the ground moves, and is also caused by high winds, particularly in the case of tall buildings. Many building codes around the world require the use of shearboard in construction for safety reasons.
Shear panels are also known as shear walls or braced panels. They are constructed by bolting a series of side supports to the exterior framing of a building, along with interior joists in the floor and roof. These supports stabilize the structure and, when covered by a wall, become a solid reinforcing wall that resists lateral shear. The drag force depends on the size of the structure, the width of the shear panel and the construction materials used.
To be effective, a shearboard must be both strong and rigid. Strong walls are important, to resist the tearing forces involved with lateral tearing. Rigidity is also key, to ensure that the shearboard holds its position as well as remaining intact. The amount of strength and stiffness needed can be calculated by an engineer or architect to determine whether or not the shearboard will do the job. Shear walls can be load-bearing or non-load-bearing, but in either case they are critical to the structural integrity of the building.
Many building codes err on the side of caution, which is why shearboards are also needed in regions where high winds and earthquakes are rare. Strange weather conditions do happen, and it’s better to be prepared for an event that never happens than to be unprepared for a devastating earthquake or storm. When building shear panels, contractors also need to think about how the space will be used, because they want to provide structural support without infringing on the usability of the space.
Windows and doors offer no resistance to shear forces and therefore structures built with many windows must be constructed very carefully. Using many windows may require more shear panels than would otherwise be required, with the goal of creating a strong core to support the building in the event of severe shear forces. Especially in the case of large buildings, it’s always a good idea to have another engineering firm review the plans to check for any design flaws or overlooked safety features.
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