In-place shear wall testing method and apparatus

A method for determining the strength of a wall of a completed structure, said wall having a plurality of vertical studs affixed to a sole at the bottom and to a plate at the top, the wall having an exterior surface covering and an interior surface covering and said wall having a rectangular area including the sole and the plate, a first vertical side and a second vertical side, said rectangular having an upper first side comer and a lower opposite comer said method comprising:

• removing an area of one of said exterior or interior surface coverings at each of said corners to expose an upper vertical portion of a vertical member, said upper vertical portion at the upper comer being an exposed upper vertical portion and a plate portion of the plate at the upper comer, said plate portion being an exposed plate portion and a lower vertical portion of another vertical member at the lower opposite comer, said lower vertical portion being an exposed lower vertical portion and a sole portion of the sole at the lower opposite corner, said sole portion of the sole being an exposed sole portion;
• affixing an upper shoe to the exposed plate and exposed upper vertical portion at the upper comer, said upper shoe having a contact portion positioned away from an outer plane of said removed surface covering;
• affixing a lower shoe to the exposed sole and exposed lower vertical portion at the lower opposite comer, said lower shoe having a contact portion positioned away from an outer plane of said removed surface covering;
• affixing a length altering strut between said contact portions of said upper and lower shoes;
• altering the length of said length altering strut;
• and
• measuring the change in size of said rectangular area.

An assembly for the in-place testing of an area of an existing wall having a pair of shoes for affixing to opposite corners of a wall area, said wall area including a plurality of studs, a lower sole and an upper plate, said pair of shoes including an upper shoe and a lower shoe and said pair of shoes and a length altering strut, said assembly comprising:

• a lower shoe being in the shape of a right angle having a base and a vertical side, an inner surface and an outer surface, said base and said vertical side each having a plurality of holes therethrough and a plurality of right angled brackets also having holes therethrough whereby the lower shoe can be affixed to the sole and a vertical stud by affixing a plurality of right angled brackets to the inner surface of the vertical side and a stud and affixing a plurality of right angled brackets to the inner surface of the base and the sole, said lower shoe having a curved strut supporting plate affixed to the outer surface near the intersection of the base and the vertical side;
• an upper shoe being in the shape of a right angle having a base and a vertical side, an inner surface and an outer surface, said base and said vertical side each having a plurality of holes therethrough and a plurality of right angled brackets also having holes therethrough whereby the upper shoe can be affixed to the plate and a vertical stud by affixing a plurality of right angled brackets to the inner surface of the vertical side and a stud and affixing a plurality of right angled brackets to the inner surface of the base and the plate, said upper shoe having a curved strut supporting plate affixed to the outer surface near the intersection of the base and the vertical side;
• and
• a length altering strut having a straight portion an upper end, a lower end, and a length altering piece along a portion of the straight portion thereof.