ISSN: 1945-7553
Published Online: 1 May 2008
Page Count: 8

Computational Modeling of the Lateral Load Transfer Capacity of Rimboard

Wang, Bing
Ph.D. Candidate, Ph.D. Student, and Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

Liu, Xiaoqin
Ph.D. Candidate, Ph.D. Student, and Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

Lam, F.
Ph.D. Candidate, Ph.D. Student, and Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

(Received 15 May 2007; accepted 21 March 2008)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the performance of structural composite lumber in terms of lateral load transfer capacity in rimboard application from the perspective of computational modeling with the finite element method (FEM). Computational modeling is effective at predicting and evaluating performance of structural composite lumber as rimboard. It provides insight into the system behavior of floor assembly and demonstrates that with the current test setup, as stipulated in the AC124 standard, the lateral load transfer capacity of rimboard may be overestimated if the vertical restraints in real buildings are not as stiff as the hold-down device used in the laboratory. Two solutions are proposed to improve the test setup to yield more reliable evaluation of lateral load transfer capacity of rimboard.

Keywords:
structural composite lumber, rimboard, lateral load transfer capacity, finite element method, computational modeling

Paper ID: JTE101196
DOI: 10.1520/JTE101196
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