Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
(OP)
Recently I've been analyzing a number of mixed two story/one story residential designs using Woodwork's shearwall software. It has become my go to product for determining my shearwall forces for many of my jobs that are too complex to realistically do wind and seismic load takedowns manually. However, it always makes me a little uneasy using a product like this and putting all one eggs into one basket especially when I don't have a "second opinion" on the forces. After a number of jobs I do have a rough feel for what sorts of numbers I should expect which has actually saved me on one job that went wrong in the Woodworks shearwall software. Does anyone have any suggestions on software or methods that could be utilized to economically validate the output of the Woodwork's shearwall software.
On a similar note, I have lately been enveloping the design with flexible and rigid diaphragm analysis however I am finding my shearwall forces are sometimes ridiculously high. Since I think most of us can agree that the actual diaphragm behavior is somewhere in between these two extremes (semi-rigid diaphrahm) perhaps it would be more realistic to take the enveloped shear force (maximum of the two) and take some percentage of it, say 75% versus using the maximum force.
Case in point is the first level of the residence shown below. If I take the max. shear load to each shearwall from either the rigid or flexible analysis it would seem to me that I am over designing the structure to some extent.
On a similar note, I have lately been enveloping the design with flexible and rigid diaphragm analysis however I am finding my shearwall forces are sometimes ridiculously high. Since I think most of us can agree that the actual diaphragm behavior is somewhere in between these two extremes (semi-rigid diaphrahm) perhaps it would be more realistic to take the enveloped shear force (maximum of the two) and take some percentage of it, say 75% versus using the maximum force.
Case in point is the first level of the residence shown below. If I take the max. shear load to each shearwall from either the rigid or flexible analysis it would seem to me that I am over designing the structure to some extent.
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com






RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
Rigid Diaphragm Analysis:
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
We do know that the real condition is semi-rigid diaphragm. We also know that wood structures in general have a great deal of ductility. I wouldn't punish your design too much. There are a LOT of factors involved in how these structures really behave and there are plenty of real world examples of houses that shouldn't work, but are somehow still there.
When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.
-R. Buckminster Fuller
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
Garth Dreger PE - AZ Phoenix area
As EOR's we should take the responsibility to design our structures to support the components we allow in our design per that industry standards.
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
The maximum of either:
1.) 75% of the max. of Rigid or Flexible
2.) Average of the Rigid and Flexible
In pseudo code: MAX[ .75*MAX(R,F) , AVG(R,F) ]
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Woodworks Shearwalls Verification
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com