Experimental and analytical validation of a fastener bearing test as a means of evaluating the bracing characteristics of plasterboard

The beneficial bracing characteristics of plasterboard have recently been incorporated into Australian design standards for residential structures. There is a need to develop control procedures, commensurate with these enhanced design guidelines, to control the quality of plasterboard such that its manufactured properties conform with the bracing characteristics assumed. This paper reports the findings of a study into the adequacy of existing plasterboard quality tests as a measure of its bracing capacity. The paper also reports the development of a new test method, described herein as fastener bearing test, as an alternate quality control method for bracing capacity of plasterboard. This fastener bearing test is subsequently validated through an extensive experimental program and analytical modelling. The paper concludes that the proposed test is a reliable method to assess the bracing capacity of plasterboard. It has also established the validity of a simple closed-form mathematical approach to ascertain the lateral capacity of clad framed walls.