Trapezoidal plates as claddings or shells

[jo2ny]

Hello,

I have to model a big rectangular container. The exterior walls are made out of steel trapezoidal plates.

I first modeled them as Shells (without stiffening). Found out that they reduce the lateral drifts a lot, almost totally.

I made a second calculation model in which I set them to simple claddings (just to distribute the surface loads on beams and columns), ran it and now the drifts are exceeding the allowable values.

The real behavior in my opinion is somewhere in-between.

How would you consider them to reflect the closest behavior to reality?

Is there a way to display the real trapezoidal looking plate? (client wants to see it in the calculation notes )

Thanks

[Rafal.Gaweda]

Attach the file, we will look at it.