Overview of SERA Project: 3D shaking table tests on an integrated low-damage building system

Targeting life-safety is arguably not enough for our modern society and communities. The performance-based design objectives need a paradigm shift towards a low-damage design philosophy with the final goal of developing a cost-affordable high-performance building system, including structural and non-structural elements, services and soil foundation systems, capable of sustaining a design level earthquake with limited damage, controllable socio-economic losses and minimum disruption of business. This paper provides an overview of an EU-funded SERA project, which is coordinating a unique research effort for the development and possible future implementation within the European Environment of an integrated low-damage building system. A two-storey 1:2 scale fully prefabricated and dry-assembled timber-concrete low-damage building with different non-structural systems (facades, partitions, services) has been designed to be tested on a 3D shaking table. The paper provides information on the design procedure, specimen detailing, as well as on initial numerical blind predictions of the seismic response of the Test Building.