The following topics in the field of seismic analysis and design of mid-rise (5- and 6-storey) wood-frame buildings are included in this paper: Determination of the building period, linear dynamic analysis of wood-frame structures, deflections of stacked multi-storey shearwalls, diaphragm classification, capacity-based design for woodframe...
Lack of research and design information for the seismic performance of balloon-type CLT shear walls prevents CLT from being used as an acceptable solution to resist seismic loads in balloon-type mass-timber buildings. To quantify the performance of balloon-type CLT structures subjected to lateral loads and create the research background for future code implementation of balloon-type CLT systems in CSA O86 and NBCC, FPInnovations initiated a project to determine the behaviour of balloon-type CLT construction. A series of tests on balloon-type CLT walls and connections used in these walls were conducted. Analytical models were developed based on engineering principles and basic mechanics to predict the deflection and resistance of the balloon-type CLT shear walls. This report covers the work related to development of the analytical models and the tests on balloon-type CLT walls that the models were verified against.
Advanced Wood-Based Solutions for Mid-Rise and High-Rise Construction: Structural Performance of Post-Tensioned CLT Shear Walls with Energy Dissipators
The latest developments in seismic design philosophy have been geared towards developing of so called "resilient" or "low damage" innovative structural systems that can reduce damage to the structure while offering the same or higher levels of safety to occupants. One such innovative structural system is the Pres-Lam system that is a wood-hybrid system that utilizes post-tensioned (PT) mass timber components in both rigid-frame and wall-based buildings along with various types of energy disspators. To help implement the Pres-Lam system in Canada and the US, information about the system performance made with North American engineered wood products is needed. That information can later be used to develop design guidelines for the designers for wider acceptance of the system by the design community.Several components influence the performance of the Pres-Lam systems: the load-deformation properties of the engineered wood products under compression, load-deformation and energy dissipation properties of the dissipators used, placement of the dissipators in the system, and the level of post-tensioning force. The influence of all these components on the performance of Pres-Lam wall systems under gravity and lateral loads was investigated in this research project. The research project consisted of two main parts: material tests and system tests.
Although not yet seen as common practice, building with cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining momentum in North America. Behind the scenes of the widely publicized project initiatives such as the Wood Innovation Design Centre Building in Canada and the recent U.S. Tall Wood Building Competition, substantial research, engineering, and development has been completed or is underway to enable the adoption of this innovative building system. This paper presents a brief overview of the current status of CLT building development in North America, highlighting some recent U.S. and Canadian research efforts related to CLT system performance, and identifies future CLT research directions based on the needs of the North American market. The majority of the research summarized herein is from a recent CLT research workshop in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, organized by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. The opportunity and need for coordination in CLT research and development among the global timber engineering community are also highlighted in the conclusions of this paper.
The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in residential and non-residential buildings is becoming increasingly popular in North America. While the 2016 supplement to the 2014 edition of the Canadian Standard for Engineering Design in Wood, CSAO86, provides provisions for CLT structures used in platform type applications, it does not provide guidance for the in-plane stiffness and strength of CLT shearwalls. The research presented in this paper investigated the in-plane stiffness and strength of CLT shearwalls with different connections for platform-type construction. Finite element analyses were conducted where the CLT panels were modelled as an orthotropic elastic material, and non-linear springs were used for the connections. The hysteretic behaviour of the connections under cyclic loading was calibrated from quasi-static tests; the full model of wall assemblies was calibrated using experimental tests on CLT shearwalls. A parametric study was conducted that evaluated the change of strength and stiffness of walls with the change in a number of connectors. Finally, a capacity-based design procedure is proposed that provides engineers with guidance for designing platform-type CLT buildings. The philosophy of the procedure is to design the CLT buildings such that all non-linear deformations and energy dissipation occurs in designated connections, while all other connections and the CLT panels are designed with sufficient over-strength to remain linear elastic.
Compared to light-frame wood shear walls, it is relatively difficult for panelized CLT shear walls to achieve similar levels of lateral deflection without paying special attention to design details, i.e., connections. A design lacking ductility or energy dissipating mechanism will result in high acceleration amplifications and excessive global overturning demands for multistory buildings, and even more so for tall wood buildings. Although a number of studies have been conducted on CLT shear walls and building assemblies since the 1990s, the wood design community’s understanding of the seismic behavior of panelized CLT systems is still in the learning phase, hence the impetus for this article and the tall CLT building workshop, which will be introduced herein. For example, there has been a recent trend in engineering to improve resiliency, which seeks to design a building system such that it can be restored to normal functionality sooner after an earthquake than previously possible, i.e., it is a resilient system. While various resilient lateral system concepts have been explored for concrete and steel construction, this concept has not yet been realized for multistory CLT systems. This forum article presents a review of past research developments on CLT as a lateral force-resisting system, the current trend toward design and construction of tall buildings with CLT worldwide, and attempts to summarize the societal needs and challenges in developing resilient CLT construction in regions of high seismicity in the United States.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) products are gaining popularity in the North American market and are being used in midrise wood buildings, in particular, in shearwall applications. Shearwalls provide resistance to lateral loads such as wind and earthquake loads, and therefore it is important to gain a better understanding of the behavior of CLT shearwall systems during earthquake events. This paper is focused on the seismic performance of connections between CLT shearwall panels and the foundation. CLT panels are very stiff and energy dissipation is accomplished by the connections. A literature review on previous research work related to damage prediction and assessment for wood frame structures was performed. Furthermore, a test program was conducted to investigate the performance of CLT connections subjected to simulated earthquake loads. Two different brackets in combination with five types of fasteners were tested under monotonic and cyclic loading protocols. In total, 98 connection tests were conducted and the monotonic load-displacement curves and hysteretic loops were obtained. In this paper, an energy-based cumulative damage assessment model was calibrated with the CLT connection test data. Finally, a correlation between the damage index and physical damage is provided.
Wood-frame is the most common construction type for residential buildings in North America. However, there is a limit to the height of the building using a traditional wood-frame structure. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) provides possible solutions to mid-...
Wood-concrete composite slab floors provide a promising solution for achieving long spans and shallow wood-based floor systems for large and tall wood buildings. In comparison with conventional wood floor systems, such long span and heavy floors have a lower fundamental natural frequency, which challenges the floor vibration controlled design. A laboratory study, including subjective evaluation and measurement of the natural frequencies and one-kN static deflections, was conducted on wood-concrete composite floors. Method of calculation of the composite bending stiffness of the wood-concrete composite floor is proposed. The design criterion for human comfort was derived from the subjective evaluation results using the calculated fundamental natural frequency and 1 kN static deflection of one meter wide strip of the composite floor. The equation to directly determine the vibration controlled spans from the stiffness and mass was derived. Limited verification was performed. Further verification is needed when more field wood-concrete composite floors become available.
