Seismic Response of High-Rise Cross Laminated Timber Buildings

Abstract eng:
With half of the world's megacities located in seismic regions, there is an urgent need for tall structures that can withstand the large demands imposed by earthquakes while minimizing the environmental costs associated with their construction and maintenance. In this context, tall timber construction has the potential to enable an efficient use of urban space at the lowest possible environmental cost. In particular, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels have many advantages over other traditional structural systems such as low or negative embodied carbon, high strength-to-weight ratio and high degree of prefabrication. This study investigates the seismic design and response of high-rise buildings made of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). To this end, the design of an 8-storey building is presented in detail. The design follows the principles of Eurocode 8 when applicable and is informed by recent research findings when required. A detailed numerical model of the building is developed in the OpenSees Finite Element Framework with due account for geometric and material nonlinearities. The model employs 4-noded quad elements for the CLT wall panels, while two-node link and zero-length elements are used to model the non-linear response of the shear brackets, hold-downs, lap-splice connections and other contact constraints. The model is validated against available experimental data on CLT wall panels and a good agreement is obtained. Subsequently, the results of a series of static and dynamic non-linear analyses are presented and discussed with particular emphasis on ductility and strength demands.

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