Can the effective shear stiffness values, Ga, in Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS), be used for calculation of diaphragm and shear wall deflections due to wind loads?

Values of apparent shear stiffness, Ga, are tabulated in seismic columns of the SDPWS to facilitate calculation of seismic story drift in accordance with ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Values of Ga are equally applicable for calculation of the shear deformation component of total deflection due to wind loads up to the ASD wind unit shear value calculated as vw/2.0. This level of unit shear for wind is identical to 1.4 times the ASD seismic unit shear capacity for which apparent shear stiffness values were originally developed (see SDPWS Commentary C4.2.2).