Interaction between cladding and structural frame observed in a full‐scale steel building test

Interaction between the external wall cladding and the seismic load resisting frame was examined in a full‐scale cyclic loading test of a three‐storey steel building structure. The building specimen had Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete (ALC, also designated as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) panels installed and anchored to the structural frame as external wall cladding, using a standard Japanese method developed following the 1995 Kobe earthquake. ALC panelling is among the most widely used material for claddings in Japan. In the test, the ALC panel cladding contributed little to the stiffness and strength of the overall structure, even under a very large storey drift of 0.04 rad. No visible damage was noted in the ALC panels other than minor cracks and spalling of the bottom of the panels in the first storey. Consequently, in a Japanese steel building with properly installed ALC panel cladding, the structural frame is likely to be little affected by its cladding, and the ALC panels are capable of accommodating the maximum storey drift generally considered in structural design without sustaining discernible damage. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.