This paper presents an investigation of possible disproportionate collapse for a nine-storey flat-plate timber building, designed for gravity and lateral loads. The alternate load-path analysis method is used to understand the structural response under various removal speeds. The loss of the corner and penultimate ground floor columns are the two cases selected to investigate the contribution of the cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and their connections, towards disproportionate collapse prevention. The results show that the proposed building is safe for both cases, if the structural elements are removed at a speed slower than 1 sec. Disproportionate collapse is observed for sudden element loss, as quicker removal speed require higher moments resistance, especially at the longitudinal and transverse CLT floor-to-floor connections. The investigation also emphasises the need for strong and stiff column-to-column structural detailing as the magnitude of the vertical downward forces, at the location of the removed columns, increases for quicker removal.
Cross-Laminated-Timber (CLT) is increasingly gaining popularity in residential and non-residential applications in North America. To use CLT as lateral load resisting system, individual panels need to be connected. In order to provide in-plane shear connections, CLT panels may be joined with a variety of options including the use of self-tapping-screws (STS) in surface splines and half-lap joints. Alternatively, STS can be installed at an angle to the plane allowing for simple butt joints and avoiding any machining. This study investigated the performance of CLT panel assemblies connected with STS under vertical shear loading. The three aforementioned options were applied to join 3ply and 5-ply CLT panels. A total of 60 mid-scale quasi-static shear tests were performed to determine and compare the connection performance in terms of strength, stiffness, and ductility. It was shown that – depending on the screw layout – either very stiff or very ductile joint performance can be achieved.
