Building Behavior Model
The following figure and description is provided as a review of the basic behavior of a simple shear wall building in response to a lateral load. Refer to the numbered elements on the figure, while reading the following:
- The transverse applied lateral load is carried to the roof and foundation by the wall which is assumed here to be a vertically spanning element.
- The roof and foundation support the vertically spanning wall, and consequently pick up the developed horizontal reactions.
- At the roof level, these wall reactions in turn load the roof system, in the plane of the roof. This horizontal element is known as the diaphragm.
- The diaphragm resists the in-plane loads by acting as a large horizontal beam spanning between the supporting end walls that are known as shear walls.
- Properly designed shear walls will then resist the applied diaphragm reaction and transfer the shear load and possible overturning moment to the foundation.
