Drift response of tall cross-laminated timber buildings under realistic earthquake loads

This paper examines the drift response of tall cross-laminated timber (CLT) buildings subjected to a large set of real strong ground motions. Particular focus is placed on the influence of ground-motion frequency content on the inelastic drift demands of multi-storey CLT building structures. A total of 68 CLT buildings with varying structural characteristics were modelled and subjected to a set of 1656 real acceleration records. The effect of the frequency content of ground-motion, characterised by its mean period, Tm, is found to be determinant on the inelastic deformation demands of CLT walled buildings. Furthermore, the evolution of drift demands as a function of tuning ratio reveals different trends for low and high-rise CLT buildings. Prediction models for the estimation of global and inter-storey drift response on low-, mid- and high-rise CLT buildings are developed by means of nonlinear regression analysis. Finally, a comparative study is performed with reference to Eurocode 8 equal displacement rule and recent assessment proposals is outlined.