Seismic Design of Tall CLT Buildings

Rodrigo Thiers
Ductile Timber Structures for Seismic Response

The Need for Inelastic Response

Tall buildings designed for only elastic response will be subjected to very
high forces and accelerations during a major earthquake.
Expensive buildings
Damage to contents
High forces and accelerations can be reduced allowing an inelastic
response (ductility and hysteretic damping).

Ductile Response in Timber Structures

To obtain ductile response in timber structures, ductility must be provided
in the connections, and timber members designed by capacity design
principles.
Typical mechanical connectors have relatively low deformation capacity and
significant stiffness degradation under cyclic loading Not suitable for tall
buildings in high seismicity areas.
Post-tensioned rocking connections, which have a ductile response and
provide a restoring moment, can be used in high seismicity areas.
Seismic Behaviour of CLT Panels

CLT panels with mechanical fasteners as connectors

Existing wall test observations indicated that, under lateral loading, the
shear deformation of the CLT panel itself is insignificant compared to the
deformation of connectors.

Simplified Model to estimate the hysteresis of

CLT wall systems (van de Lindt et al., 2013)

CLT panels behave as in-plane rigid

bodies
Under lateral loading, CLT panels will
rotate around the bottom corners
There is no relative slip between the wall
and the floor
Panel connectors will be deformed during
the rocking motion of the wall.
Seismic Behaviour of CLT Panels

CLT panels with mechanical fasteners as connectors

A force deformation relationship for the connection was developed and
calibrated from CLT wall experimental tests performed by FPInnovations
(Popovski et al., 2010)

CUREE 10 Parameter Hysteric Model for Wall to Foundation Connections

[van de Lindt et al., 2013]
Seismic Behaviour of CLT Panels

CLT panels with mechanical fasteners as connectors

a) Performance of a panel with no b) Performance of a panel with
additional axial load additional axial load

Adequate level of ductility and recentering properties for the specimens with
additional axial load.
However, significant stiffness and strength degradation caused by the plastic
deformation of mechanical fasteners can be observed
 Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

PRESSS
The PRESSS program developed a hybrid system consisting of
unbonded post-tensioned concrete frames and walls combined with mild
steel energy dissipation devices.

Unbonded PT connections, provide self-centering and the mild steel provides energy
dissipation, resulting in flag-shape hysteretic.

This system can easily be extended to timber structures.

Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

PRES-Lam (University of Canterbury)

Extension of the PRESSS program from concrete to timber (LVL walls).

In this case, the mild steel is replaced by

UFPs to couple the walls together and
dissipate energy.
Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

PRES-Lam (University of Canterbury)

Iqbal et al., 2007

Ductile behaviour and no residual displacements.

No stiffness or strength degradation.
Minimal damaged was observed after the pseudo dynamics tests.
Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

Numerical Model for Single Connection Rocking CLT Wall

Guire-Megegotto-
Pinto model - UFPs

CLT Multispring
Contact Element

Ganey et al., 2015

Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

Numerical Model for Single Connection Rocking CLT Wall

Comparison of the numerical and experimental results

Ganey et al., 2015

Post-tensioned Rocking Timber Structures

Application to Tall CLT Buildings

The response of tall CLT buildings can be estimated analytically using
these simplified models.

Different building configurations for the rocking CLT wall system have
been analysed. Results show that:
Rocking systems have considerable
contribution to the total response from
higher modes when compared to
equivalent fixed base systems.
Configurations to reduce demands
from higher modes effects need to be
developed

Configurations or devices to reduce

accelerations in tall timber buildings
need to be developed.