Heavy Laminated Timber Frames with Rigid Three-Dimensional Beam-to-Column Connections

This article presents the seismic performance of a timber frame with three-dimensional (3D) rigid connections. The connections were made with self-tapping screws and hardwood blocks were used to support the beams. The frame was designed to resist high seismic excitations with the goal of controlling the drift. The moment-rotation characteristics of the connections were measured in the laboratory by applying static cyclic loads. The frame made of laminated wood beams and columns, and cross-laminated lumber deck, was subjected to seismic, white noise, snapback, and sinusoidal sweep excitations. The synthetic seismic excitation was designed to contain a considerable amount of energy close to the frame’s first natural frequency. The structure showed no significant damage up to a peak ground acceleration of 1.25g. Failure of the frame occurred due to shearing of the columns with a peak ground acceleration of 1.5g. The designed structure fulfilled with current serviceability limits up to 0.8g.