Seismic Laboratory Testing of Energy-Efficient, Staggered-Stud, Wood-Frame Shear Walls.

Residential energy use is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Reducing energy efficiency in conventional wood-framed houses are thermal bridges: direct paths that allow heat to flow through the studs instead of the insulation. One suggestion for reducing thermal bridging is the staggered stud (SS) wall. SS walls use bottom and top plates with studs alternating between sides of the wall. This allows sheathing to be applied to both sides while eliminating thermal bridges. A literature review has revealed a lack of laboratory test data for SS walls used as shear walls, raising concerns about their safety. The objective of this study was to evaluate the seismic performance of typical SS walls and compare their behavior to similar conventional walls. Monotonic and cyclic laboratory tests were conducted with and without gypsum wallboard. The staggered stud specimens performed similarly to conventional walls. Some minor differences were identified, but the data raised no immediate concerns about the use of SS walls as an energy efficient option in areas of seismic hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]