Experimental characterisation of connection behaviour for coldformed steel panels sheathed with calcium silicate boards

Construction trends aim towards the use of modular cold-formed steel (CFS) wall panels, comprising of CFS studs and sheathing. Their capacity is influenced by dif-ferent components employed, with the fastener connection between the sheathing board and the frame being the most critical. Furthermore, as repeated loading sce-narios are expected to occur within the life cycle of a structure, it is important to address the uncertainty surrounding the connection behaviour under cyclic loading. A series of push-out tests were carried out for cold-formed steel sections sheathed with Calcium Silicate Board, using monotonic and cyclic loading protocols. The cyclic protocol employed focuses on the serviceability limit state with a repeated load-unload step applied for 10 cycles. Two assembly arrangements, namely back-to-back and single stud arrangements were employed. Push-out test results are pre-sented and discussed herein. Recommendations for the test procedure and design of connection in sheathed cold-formed steel shear walls are proposed.