{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32641"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32641","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Horizontal Stiffness of Wood Diaphragms","abstract":"An experimental investigation was conducted to study the stiffness of wood diaphragms. Currently there is no method to calculate wood diaphragm stiffness that can reliably account for all of the various framing configurations. Diaphragm stiffness is important in the design of wood framed structures to calculate the predicted deflection and thereby determine if a diaphragm may be classified as rigid or flexible. This classification controls the method by which load is transferred from the diaphragm to the supporting structure below. Multiple nondestructive experimental tests were performed on six full-scale wood diaphragms of varying sizes, aspect ratios, and load-orientations. Each test of each specimen involved a different combination of construction parameters. The construction parameters investigated were blocking, foam adhesive, presence of designated chord members, corner and center sheathing openings, and presence of walls on top of the diaphragm. The experimental results are analyzed and compared in terms of equivalent viscous damping, global stiffness, shear stiffness, and flexural stiffness in order to evaluate the characteristics of each construction parameter and combinations thereof. Recommendations are presented at the end of this study as to the next steps toward development of an empirical method for calculating wood diaphragm stiffness.","abstract_html":"An experimental investigation was conducted to study the stiffness of wood diaphragms. Currently there is no method to calculate wood diaphragm stiffness that can reliably account for all of the various framing configurations. Diaphragm stiffness is important in the design of wood framed structures to calculate the predicted deflection and thereby determine if a diaphragm may be classified as rigid or flexible. This classification controls the method by which load is transferred from the diaphragm to the supporting structure below. Multiple nondestructive experimental tests were performed on six full-scale wood diaphragms of varying sizes, aspect ratios, and load-orientations. Each test of each specimen involved a different combination of construction parameters. The construction parameters investigated were blocking, foam adhesive, presence of designated chord members, corner and center sheathing openings, and presence of walls on top of the diaphragm. The experimental results are analyzed and compared in terms of equivalent viscous damping, global stiffness, shear stiffness, and flexural stiffness in order to evaluate the characteristics of each construction parameter and combinations thereof. Recommendations are presented at the end of this study as to the next steps toward development of an empirical method for calculating wood diaphragm stiffness.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bott, James Wescott"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Civil Engineering","degree_department":"Civil Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Easterling, William Samuel","Dolan, James Daniel"],"committee_members":["Loferski, Joseph R."],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-04-18","date_published":"2005-04-18","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:12Z","subjects":["shear stiffness","diaphragm stiffness","diaphragm deflection","wood diaphragm"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-05122005-214833"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-05122005-214833","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32641","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Easterling, William Samuel","Dolan, James Daniel"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Loferski, Joseph R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bott, James Wescott"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:36:28Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:36:28Z","2005-05-19"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005-04-18"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["shear stiffness","diaphragm stiffness","diaphragm deflection","wood diaphragm"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-05122005-214833"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32641"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["An experimental investigation was conducted to study the stiffness of wood diaphragms. Currently there is no method to calculate wood diaphragm stiffness that can reliably account for all of the various framing configurations. Diaphragm stiffness is important in the design of wood framed structures to calculate the predicted deflection and thereby determine if a diaphragm may be classified as rigid or flexible. This classification controls the method by which load is transferred from the diaphragm to the supporting structure below. Multiple nondestructive experimental tests were performed on six full-scale wood diaphragms of varying sizes, aspect ratios, and load-orientations. Each test of each specimen involved a different combination of construction parameters. The construction parameters investigated were blocking, foam adhesive, presence of designated chord members, corner and center sheathing openings, and presence of walls on top of the diaphragm. The experimental results are analyzed and compared in terms of equivalent viscous damping, global stiffness, shear stiffness, and flexural stiffness in order to evaluate the characteristics of each construction parameter and combinations thereof. Recommendations are presented at the end of this study as to the next steps toward development of an empirical method for calculating wood diaphragm stiffness."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Horizontal Stiffness of Wood Diaphragms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Easterling, William Samuel","Dolan, James Daniel"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Loferski, Joseph R."],"dc:contributor.department":["Civil Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Bott, James Wescott"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:36:28Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:36:28Z","2005-05-19"],"dc:date.issued":["2005-04-18"],"dc:description.abstract":["An experimental investigation was conducted to study the stiffness of wood diaphragms. Currently there is no method to calculate wood diaphragm stiffness that can reliably account for all of the various framing configurations. Diaphragm stiffness is important in the design of wood framed structures to calculate the predicted deflection and thereby determine if a diaphragm may be classified as rigid or flexible. This classification controls the method by which load is transferred from the diaphragm to the supporting structure below. Multiple nondestructive experimental tests were performed on six full-scale wood diaphragms of varying sizes, aspect ratios, and load-orientations. Each test of each specimen involved a different combination of construction parameters. The construction parameters investigated were blocking, foam adhesive, presence of designated chord members, corner and center sheathing openings, and presence of walls on top of the diaphragm. The experimental results are analyzed and compared in terms of equivalent viscous damping, global stiffness, shear stiffness, and flexural stiffness in order to evaluate the characteristics of each construction parameter and combinations thereof. Recommendations are presented at the end of this study as to the next steps toward development of an empirical method for calculating wood diaphragm stiffness."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-05122005-214833"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32641"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["shear stiffness","diaphragm stiffness","diaphragm deflection","wood diaphragm"],"dc:title":["Horizontal Stiffness of Wood Diaphragms"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:12Z"}