Seismic design of timber buildings: new EC8 and cross-laminated timber

Overview

A large overhaul of Eurocode 8 is currently underway, and the chapter on design of timber structures has been extensively revised, taking it from six pages in the 2004 version to almost 40 pages in the latest draft.

The speakers have all been heavily involved in the research work underpinning the new timber chapter, as well as the drafting of the new text. Of particular recent interest are cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures, developed in Germany and Austria in the 1990s, and now used worldwide, including in seismic zones. Aside from benefits in short construction time, and sustainability, CLT buildings can perform in a very ductile manner if properly designed, including a proper capacity design hierarchy.

The speakers will also share results from their research on seismic performance of CLT buildings, including capacity design principles and analytical modelling approaches.