A Numerical Model for Capturing the In-Plane Seismic Response of Interior Metal Stud Partition Walls

Abstract: In this study, a numerical model is developed to capture the in-plane seismic response of full-height gypsum board on cold-formed steel framed partition walls. OpenSees is used to develop a lumped model to capture the behavior of the partition wall. The lumped model characteristics are determined by analyzing a larg suite of experimental data on institutional and commercial type metal studs (see MCEER-11-0005). Two error metrics, based on calculation of the maximum force and half-cycle hysteretic energy, are introduced to assess the robustness of the model. The model’s predictive capabilities are demonstrated via simulation of individual walls. The partition element is then integrated into numerical models of representative building types and the sensitivity of the building dynamic characteristics due to the presence of the partition wall are evaluated. The largest period shift was found in a model of a three story hospital, which considered the use of institutional partition walls.