Here is an ‘architectural’ solution for people living in California and other earthquake-prone regions throughout the world. Engineers have developed a metal shear wall designed newly with its seismic test being done at the University of California, Berkeley’s Structural Engineering Research Lab.
The panel has proved strong enough for use in the world’s such earthquake-prone regions, according to researchers. The new wall system is a corrugated metal decking material screwed to metal studs.
According to researchers, the new panels are three times stronger compared to equivalent plywood panels, and twice as strong as metal framing material currently available in the market. To add to this environmentally responsible metal wall, the metal panels can be prefabricated and delivered to the construction jobsite — thus, lowering its overall costs.
Photo Courtesy: SFGate
