Force Distribution within Shear Line

Once the applied loads are distributed to the shear lines and appear as point forces at the start of the line in Plan View and at the top of the first wall on the line in Elevation view, they are distributed to the shear resisting elements as follows:

• a line force is created along the diaphragm above the shear wall, representing the uniform force transferred from the diaphragm to the resisting elements and collector elements (drag struts) between them
• point forces are created at the top of each element, representing the distribution of the shear line force to the shear-resisting elements.
• line forces representing the design shear force in the sheathing of each element
• for perforated shear walls, line forces representing uplift and lateral forces on the shear wall anchors at the base and top of the wall.
• the overturning component of hold-down forces at the end of each element
• Collector forces in the drag struts connecting shear-resisting elements, and in force-transfer wall straps and blocking

Refer to Shear Forces on Shear Line for more details about each of these forces, and Shear Force Distribution Methods for the procedures for determining their magnitude.

Shear Resisting Elements

For segmented walls, the shear-resisting elements are the full-height segments between openings or gaps in the line of shear walls, that is, segments that meet maximum height-to-width ratio requirements. For perforated shear walls and force-transfer shear walls, the entire wall is considered a shear-resisting element, and the point shear force is created for the wall as a unit. For perforated walls, line shear forces are applied to only to the full-height segments, but have a uniform magnitude. For force- transfer walls, line shear forces are created for each pier beside, above, and below openings.