Final answer:
A shear wall or shear panel is a structural element that transfers loads perpendicular to its imposed loads. It plays an essential role in resisting shear stress, maintaining structural integrity, especially in high-rise buildings subject to lateral forces such as wind or earthquakes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structural element that transfers loads perpendicular to its imposed loads is known as a shear wall or shear panel. These elements are essential in the engineering and construction fields to combat the effects of shear stress. Shear stress is a force that causes layers within a structure to slide past each other in a direction parallel to the force. Its counterpart, the normal force, acts perpendicularly to the surface and is responsible for supporting the weight of the structure or load directly above.
Sideways Stress: Shear Modulus
In terms of physics and materials science, shear stress relates to the shear modulus, which quantifies the material's ability to resist shear deformation. This deformation, denoted as Ax, occurs in a direction perpendicular to the original length Lo of the material when sideways stresses, also known as shearing forces, are applied. The formula describing this phenomenon is Ax = δF·L₀·S where δ represents the shear deformation, F is the shearing force, L₀ is the original length, and S the area upon which the force is applied.
Bearing in mind that shear walls are particularly important in high-rise buildings, they provide the necessary support against lateral forces like wind and seismic activity by carrying these loads down to the foundation. Additionally, they help in maintaining the structural integrity by preventing the building from excessive swaying or collapsing during such external forces.