Experimental investigation on the racking resistance of cold-formed steel wall panels sheathed with fibre-cement boards

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the racking resistance of cold-formed steel (CFS) framed wall panels sheathed with fibre-cement boards (FCB) under monotonic loads. Three full-scale wall panel specimens were fabricated and tested to investigate the influence of the fixing type and frame assembly on the racking resistance. The test program includes specimens assembled using different screw types and stud arrangements at the joint between the two fibre-cement boards. The racking (shear) strength, stiffness and ductility of the test specimens were measured. The results show that the use of non-winged fixings significantly increases the ductility and stiffness of the wall panel. The failure modes observed were characterised by simultaneous board cracking and tilting of the fixings, with no significant plastic deformation occurred on the steel frame.