Seismic Performance of Cold-Formed Steel Nonstructural Exterior Walls with Drift-Compatible Details in Full-Scale Shake Table Tests of a Tall Mass Timber Building

Nonstructural, cold-formed steel-framed exterior walls can sustain extensive damage due to interstory drifts imposed during earthquakes. Prior research has indicated that sliding horizontal joints can lessen seismic damage in interior partition walls, but experiments considering exterior walls with similar “drift compatible” components are lacking. Three exterior wall subassemblies were built with drift compatible details to permit horizontal slip and prevent damage at intersecting walls and were included in a three dimensional shake table test program of a full-scale, 10-story mass timber building. This paper describes the design of the subassemblies and synthesizes their performance during the test program.