Racking performance of poplar laminated veneer lumber frames and frame-shear hybrid walls

This study examined the racking performance of poplar laminated veneer lumber (LVL) frames using bolted steel filling plates to connect beam-column joints, poplar LVL frames using the embedment bars to connect beam-column joints, and frame-shear hybrid walls made of poplar LVL studs and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing panels. A new design load spreader beam was used on the side of the top of a specimen to apply monotonic and cyclic loadings. It was found that the lateral force resistance, stiffness, and ultimate loads of poplar LVL pure frames with bolted steel filling plate connections and closed rod connections were much lower than those of the poplar LVL frame-shear wall hybrid structure. The highest initial stiffness of the poplar LVL hybrid frame-shear wall was 1.77 kN/mm, which was 24% and 22% lower than that of the conventional shear wall made with spruce-pine-fir studs and OSB or plywood sheathing panels, respectively. The poplar LVL frame-shear wall hybrid structure showed lower degradation in stiffness than the conventional shear wall. The hybrid frame-shear wall structures made of poplar LVL could meet the requirements of Chinese standard; however, diagonal braces were required in use of poplar LVL pure frames.