Lateral Performance of Light Wood Diaphragms with Different Structural Configurations under Monotonic Load

Light wood diaphragms are the main horizontal structural components in light wood frame constructions. Their lateral performance has a close relationship with the seismic performance of whole structure. There are various configurations such as sheathing thickness, nail size, nail spacing and joist spacing which affect the lateral performance of light wood diaphragms. In this paper, nine light wood diaphragms with different structural configurations under monotonic load are studied using FEM analysis. It is found sheathing thickness, nail size and nail spacing all have a lot to do with the overall lateral performance of light wood diaphragms, while the influence of joist spacing is limited.