RECORD-SETTING MASS TIMBER BUILDING STANDS TALL AFTER DRAMATIC SHAKE TABLE QUAKEE Simpson Strong-Tie, a leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, announced the successful completion of seismic tests on the tallest full-scale mass timber building ever tested on an earthquake simulation shake table. Conducted in May 2023 as part of the NHERI TallWood Project, the tests aimed to demonstrate the strength and seismic resiliency of mass timber as a low-carbon structural material. The tests simulated the 1994 Northridge earthquake (magnitude 6.7) and the 1999 Jiji earthquake (magnitude 7.7) at the Englekirk Structural Engineering Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD). Home to North America’s largest outdoor shake table, UCSD’s facility can test structures up to 2,000 metric tons across six axes of movement. A consortium of universities participated in the project, including UCSD, Colorado School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno, Colorado State University, University of Washington, Washington State University, Oregon State University, and Lehigh University.The project also received support from the U.S. Forest Service and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. “The collaboration with Simpson Strong-Tie has yielded two world records... the largest and now the tallest full-size wood building ever tested,” added Dr. Shiling Pei, Principal Investigator and Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. The 10-story structure incorporated an innovative rocking wall lateral system designed for minimal damage during design-level earthquakes and rapid repair after rare events. To enhance this system, Simpson Strong-Tie developed new beam-to-column and column-to-foundation connections that matched the rocking timber wall’s resiliency. Simpson Strong-Tie also contributed mass timber fasteners, angled washers, diaphragm spline straps, cold-formed steel connectors, and anchor tiedown systems, overseeing their installation during construction and testing. The NHERI TallWood Project builds on earlier research. In 2017, Simpson Strong-Tie collaborated with the project team to test a two-story mass timber building, simulating the Northridge earthquake to help develop design methods for the 10-story structure. Additionally, seismic research is ongoing at Simpson Strong-Tie’s Tyrell Gilb research facility in Stockton, California. Data from the tests—measuring seismic forces across various building systems—are expected to support the broader adoption of mass timber for residential and commercial buildings in seismic zones. “These simulations will help us better understand the resiliency of both structural and nonstructural systems, validating mass timber for tall structures in seismically prone areas,” said Steve Pryor, P.E., S.E., Advanced Research Manager at Simpson Strong-Tie.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx