A part of the ECSC-project Development of dry composite construction systems based on steel in residential application focus on design recommendations for stabilizing buildings by using shear resistance in the walls. The existing design method suggested and used by the Swedish plasterboard manufacturer Gyproc AB is considered as too conservative. Therefore a number of tests concerning the behaviour of plasterboards, steel studs and fasteners have been carried out in order to investigate the possibilities for improvements and to obtain necessary input as well as comparative data for detailed FE-analyses. The experimental investigation covered - various cases of connections between one or two layers of plasterboards and a steel stud using one single fastener - various cases of small scale walls (900x900 mm) built up by one or two layers of plasterboards applied with fasteners to both sides of a steel stud frame - full scale test of two story wall with openings, 2*2700mm height and 4500mm width. A new design method is evaluated on an example of wall with double boards and without openings.