The performance of connections and full-scale shear walls constructed with acrylic foam pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape is the focus of this thesis. The objectives of this study were first to investigate the bonding characteristics of adhesive tape to wood substrates and then to expand this investigation to cover adhesive-based shear walls subjected to high wind and seismic loadings. A total of 287 monotonic connection tests and 23 reversed cyclic wall tests were performed to achieve these objectives. Connection tests were performed in accordance with ASTM D 1761-88 (2000), and walls were tested using the CUREE (Consortium of Universities for Earthquake Engineering) general displacement-based protocol. Variables investigated within the main study were the following: the use of OSB versus plywood sheathing, the effect of priming and surface sanding on adhesion, and the comparison of connections involving mechanical fasteners with those that utilized only adhesive tape or a combination of the two. It was found that an application pressure of 207 kPa (30 psi) or greater was needed to form a sound bond between the acrylic foam adhesive tape and a wood substrate. Properly bonded OSB and plywood connections provided fairly ductile failure modes. Full-scale walls constructed with adhesive tape performed similarly to traditional wall configurations, while walls constructed with a combination of adhesive tape and mechanical fasteners provided significant gains in strength and toughness. The results of this study serve to provide a foundation for expanding the engineering uses of acrylic foam adhesive tape for structural applications.

Master of Science