The provisions to determine the deflection of gypsum wallboard (GWB) sheathed shearwalls available in the Canadian and American standards are limited to nailed shearwalls and are rudimentary compared to the wood based sheathing equations. There is currently no fastener slip model for the GWB sheathed shearwalls that are fastened with GWB screws. A main goal of this study is to improve the existing equations for nailed GWB sheathed shearwalls and develop a suitable analytical expression that can be used for GWB fastened with screws. In total, 270 GWB sheathed joints were subjected to reversed cyclic loading with variations including GWB type, thickness, fastener type, fastener size and manufacturers. The power model type is used to develop the fastener slip equations for nails and screws, which have GWB density and fastener diameter as equation inputs. The accuracy of the developed model is then validated by comparing the tested full-scale GWB sheathed shearwall deflection to the deflection calculated using the newly proposed fastener slip models. The proposed equation is a significant improvement to the existing code provisions. Component testing was performed on the fasteners (center point bending test) and the GWB (dowel bearing test). The results of these tests were used to determine the joint capacity based on the European Yield Model. It was also found that the shearwall capacity could be predicted by considering the joint level capacity while accounting for the number of joints at a panel edge. The joint level and full-scale experimental results are also validated with the use of an analysis program (SAPWood) to model the joint level hysteresis as a hysteretic spring with 10 model fitting parameters. The developed joint level hysteretic model was then used to represent the fasteners connecting the sheathing panels to the lumber framing in the construction of the full-scale shearwall model.

A atual situação sócio econômica do país tem levado as empresas construtorasa buscarem eficiência no seu processo de produção. Nesse contexto, o uso das chapas de gesso acartonado como componente de vedação vertical interna vem se tornando cada vez mais intenso, substituindo a tradicional vedação em alvenaria. Apesar da utilização crescente desse componente, há uma carência no país sobre o conhecimento da tecnologia construtiva das divisórias de gesso acartonado, que já é largamente difundida em vários países. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho caracteriza o método construtivo da vedação vertical interna de chapas de gesso acartonado, abordando sobre o seu desempenho; analisando os materiais, componentes, equipamentos e ferramentas necessários para a sua execução; apresentando os procedimentos de montagem da divisória e propondo algumas diretrizes para a elaboração de um projeto para produção e o estabelecimento de parâmetros de controle durante o processo de execução. Espera-se dessa forma contribuir para o avanço da tecnologia de produção das vedações verticais e, em especial, das divisórias de gesso acartonado. / Due to the current social and economic situation in Brazil, building construction companies are seeking ways to improve efficiency in their production processes. For this reason, gypsum plasterboard is beginning to be widely used for internal walls as a substitute for traditional masonry. In spite of the increasing utilization of this component, which is common in other countries, little research regarding gypsum plasterboard construction technology has been carried out here. In this way, this study deals with the gypsum plasterboard construction method, analyzing its performance, materials, components, equipment and tools required for installation. It also describes the procedure for assembling these partitions. Finally, some guidelines for the production design elaboration and the parameters to help to control the execution process are proposed. This study aims to contribute to improving internal wall technologies, especially gypsum plasterboard partition construction.

In 2005, the Recycling Council of Ontario published a report that identified the construction industry as one sector that did not manage its waste in an environmentally appropriate manner. In this report, Let’s Climb Another Molehill, 15 case studies were executed to understand why this industry was neither handling nor disposing its waste properly in Southern Ontario. A set of generic recommendations was generated to help improve the management of this industry’s waste. Unfortunately the scope of the report was too broad to support conclusions about the management of specific types of problematic construction waste. The aim of this thesis is to narrow what was done in Let’s Climb Another Molehill to focus only on gypsum wallboard. The purpose of this research is to determine what options are the most desirable and feasible to deal sustainably with gypsum wallboard waste in Southern Ontario, both now and in the future. All recommendations offered are case specific. A number of methods have been utilized to obtain the information needed to formulate appropriate recommendations to deal with wallboard. Information learned through the literature, witnessed through the observation sessions, and acquired through the interviews led to two unique option categories: 1) alternative materials and 2) change in practices. To evaluate these options, a set of criteria was created based on the concepts of sustainability and integrated waste management (IWM). This sustainable IWM criteria set allowed for consistent evaluation of the options. To improve the recommendations, the sustainable IWM criteria were refined to better deal with each of the two categories of options. When the sustainable IWM criteria for evaluating alternative materials were applied, gypsum wallboard was found still to be the best interior wall material to use today. However, applying the sustainable IWM criteria for evaluating change in practices showed that the problem with using this product lies with its management and, therefore, the remaining recommendations focus on improving the creation, use and disposal of wallboard. Many of these recommendations can easily be adopted to help eliminate inappropriate wallboard management practices. This research was able to identify areas where problems arose and to offer feasible options to improve environmentally inappropriate behaviors associated with wallboard management. Although numerous recommendations are offered, the three fundamental recommendations that will lead to the biggest change include: 1) greater number of educational programs devoted to the construction industry; 2) stricter regulations and better enforcement; and 3) a dramatic increase in landfill tipping fees. If these three recommendations were implemented, it is believed that they will play a positive role in managing gypsum wallboard waste in a more sustainable manner.

In 2005, the Recycling Council of Ontario published a report that identified the construction industry as one sector that did not manage its waste in an environmentally appropriate manner. In this report, Let’s Climb Another Molehill, 15 case studies were executed to understand why this industry was neither handling nor disposing its waste properly in Southern Ontario. A set of generic recommendations was generated to help improve the management of this industry’s waste. Unfortunately the scope of the report was too broad to support conclusions about the management of specific types of problematic construction waste. The aim of this thesis is to narrow what was done in Let’s Climb Another Molehill to focus only on gypsum wallboard. The purpose of this research is to determine what options are the most desirable and feasible to deal sustainably with gypsum wallboard waste in Southern Ontario, both now and in the future. All recommendations offered are case specific. A number of methods have been utilized to obtain the information needed to formulate appropriate recommendations to deal with wallboard. Information learned through the literature, witnessed through the observation sessions, and acquired through the interviews led to two unique option categories: 1) alternative materials and 2) change in practices. To evaluate these options, a set of criteria was created based on the concepts of sustainability and integrated waste management (IWM). This sustainable IWM criteria set allowed for consistent evaluation of the options. To improve the recommendations, the sustainable IWM criteria were refined to better deal with each of the two categories of options. When the sustainable IWM criteria for evaluating alternative materials were applied, gypsum wallboard was found still to be the best interior wall material to use today. However, applying the sustainable IWM criteria for evaluating change in practices showed that the problem with using this product lies with its management and, therefore, the remaining recommendations focus on improving the creation, use and disposal of wallboard. Many of these recommendations can easily be adopted to help eliminate inappropriate wallboard management practices. This research was able to identify areas where problems arose and to offer feasible options to improve environmentally inappropriate behaviors associated with wallboard management. Although numerous recommendations are offered, the three fundamental recommendations that will lead to the biggest change include: 1) greater number of educational programs devoted to the construction industry; 2) stricter regulations and better enforcement; and 3) a dramatic increase in landfill tipping fees. If these three recommendations were implemented, it is believed that they will play a positive role in managing gypsum wallboard waste in a more sustainable manner.

A atual situação sócio econômica do país tem levado as empresas construtorasa buscarem eficiência no seu processo de produção. Nesse contexto, o uso das chapas de gesso acartonado como componente de vedação vertical interna vem se tornando cada vez mais intenso, substituindo a tradicional vedação em alvenaria. Apesar da utilização crescente desse componente, há uma carência no país sobre o conhecimento da tecnologia construtiva das divisórias de gesso acartonado, que já é largamente difundida em vários países. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho caracteriza o método construtivo da vedação vertical interna de chapas de gesso acartonado, abordando sobre o seu desempenho; analisando os materiais, componentes, equipamentos e ferramentas necessários para a sua execução; apresentando os procedimentos de montagem da divisória e propondo algumas diretrizes para a elaboração de um projeto para produção e o estabelecimento de parâmetros de controle durante o processo de execução. Espera-se dessa forma contribuir para o avanço da tecnologia de produção das vedações verticais e, em especial, das divisórias de gesso acartonado. / Due to the current social and economic situation in Brazil, building construction companies are seeking ways to improve efficiency in their production processes. For this reason, gypsum plasterboard is beginning to be widely used for internal walls as a substitute for traditional masonry. In spite of the increasing utilization of this component, which is common in other countries, little research regarding gypsum plasterboard construction technology has been carried out here. In this way, this study deals with the gypsum plasterboard construction method, analyzing its performance, materials, components, equipment and tools required for installation. It also describes the procedure for assembling these partitions. Finally, some guidelines for the production design elaboration and the parameters to help to control the execution process are proposed. This study aims to contribute to improving internal wall technologies, especially gypsum plasterboard partition construction.