Sheathing Nail Bending-Yield Stress: Effect on Cyclic Performance of Wood Shear Walls

This study investigated the effects of sheathing nail bending-yield stress (f yb ) on connection properties and shear wall performance under cyclic loading. Four sets of nails were specially manufactured with average f yb of 87, 115, 145, and 241 ksi. Nail bending-yield stress and the hysteretic behavior of single-nail lateral connections were determined. The parameters of the lateral nail tests were used in a numerical model to predict shear wall performance and hysteretic parameters. The competency of the numerical model was assessed by full-scale cyclic tests of shear walls framed with Douglas-fir lumber and sheathed with oriented strandboard (OSB). The parameters of the shear wall model were used in another program to predict shear wall performance for a suite of seismic ground motions. The single-nail connection tests and wall model computations suggested that increased f yb of the sheathing nails should lead to improved wall stiffness and capacity. In both single-nail lateral connection and shear wall tests, the probability of nonductile failure modes increased as f yb increased. The peak capacity of the walls increased as f yb of the sheathing nails increased up to 145 ksi, but wall initial stiffness, displacement at peak capacity, and energy dissipation were not significantly affected by f yb . Sheathing nail f yb greater than 145 ksi did not enhance the overall cyclic behavior of wood shear walls.