Knauf Seismic Design

The main advantages of Knauf nonload
bearing partitions are the reduction
of construction weight (see table 3, page
7 and table 4) and the ductile behavior of
deformation. The dead load decrease of
non-load bearing construction components
leads to a massive reduction of loads in the
event of an earthquake.
The most ideal application of Knauf
partitions in connection with earthquake
safety is their use as infi ll walls for skeleton
constructions.
The brittle and comparatively rigid
deformation behavioral patterns of the
infi ll masonry used generally causes load
transfer with dangerous, explosion-like and
Knauf Seismic Design
Non-load bearing
Partitions
Table 4: Weight comparison of infill masonry and Knauf Drywall Systems W111/ W112
Weight Reduction
1 m² masonry d = 11.5 cm;
Weight per unit area: approx. 145 kg/m²
1 m² metal stud partition, single layer;
Weight per unit area: approx. 25 kg/m²
1 m² metal stud partition, double layer;
Weight per unit area: approx. 50 kg/m²
→ Weight reduction by 65 % to 83 %
unannounced collapse that can even lead
Table 5: Stress resultants from lateral horizontal loads
System
W111
d = 100 mm
W112
d = 125 mm
Horizontal
acceleration
0.5 g
(4.9 m/s²)
Max.
shift
[mm]
Maximum
bending
moment
[kNm]
2.5 - 14 0.1 - 0.3 2.0
11.6 - 25 0.3 - 0.6 2.6
Bending
moment
capacity
[kNm]
to the total collapse of the whole building.
Even when highly deformed, drywall
partitions maintain their enclosing function
and do not collapse completely. [7]
According to the “Report of Earthquake
Proof Execution of Partitions and Suspended
Ceilings” by Dr. Rainer Flesch of the
“Bundesforschungs- und Prüfzentrum Arsenal”
(Federal Research and Test Centre
Arsenal) [6], Knauf metal stud partitions
can effectively resist and absorb lateral
loads caused by earthquake acceleration
and their own weight.
Table 5 shows calculated stress resultants
for a lateral horizontal acceleration of
2.5 m h 3.5 m
U ; V´
0.5 g on Knauf partitions W111 and W112.
2.5 m l 15.0 m
Figure 13: Lateral horizontal loading
10