ENERGY BASED SEISMIC DESIGN OF A TIMBER CORE-WALL MULTI-STOREY HYBRID BUILDING

Current earthquake design philosophy in North America recommends an equivalent static force procedure (ESFP). Much research lately has been in new performance based methodologies including direct displacement based design (DDBD) and energy-based design (EBD). Research in energy-based design has not had the attention of DDBD yet now is gaining in popularity because of the methods reliance on the velocity spectrum and duration of earthquake hazard. This paper discusses an energy based methodology in designing a novel multi-storey hybrid building consisting of a timber-steel core wall system. This hybrid system combines Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels with steel plates and connections to provide the required strength and ductility to core walled buildings. To improve the applicability of the hybrid system an EBD methodology is proposed to design the core-walled building. The methodology is proposed as it does not rely on empirical formulas and force modification factors to determine the final design of the structure. In order to assess the feasibility of the EBD method, it is implemented in the design of a 7-storey building based off an already built concrete benchmark building. The design is first carried out following the ESFP outlined by the National Building Code of Canada for Vancouver, BC. Nonlinear time history analysis is carried out on the ESFP design and the proposed EBD methodology using 10 ground motions selected at 2% in 50 years return period, to evaluate the suitability of the method and the results of the ESFP and EBD methodologies are discussed and compared.