Experimental Testing of Rocking Cross-Laminated Timber Walls with Resilient Slip Friction Joints

Allowing a wall to rock and uplift during a seismic event can cap the forces and minimize the postevent residual damage. Slip friction connections comprised of flat steel plates sliding over each other have been experimentally tested as the hold-down connectors in timber shear walls and performed well in terms of the hysteretic behavior and the energy dissipation rate. However, the main disadvantage of these joints is the undesirable residual displacements. In recognition of this fact, a novel type of friction joint called a resilient slip friction (RSF) joint is proposed. The innovative configuration of this joint provides the energy dissipation and self-centering behavior all in one compact package. This paper describes the large-scale experimental test conducted on a rocking cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall with RSF joints as the hold-down connectors. Additionally, a series of capacity equations are presented and validated by comparing the analytical results with the experimental data. The results confirmed that this technology has the potential to provide a robust solution for seismic-resilient structures.