Post-tensioned Timber Frames with Supplemental

Damping Devices

Tobias Smith

A Thesis presented for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
In
Civil Engineering
At the
University of Canterbury
Christchurch, New Zealand
April 2014
SETUP AND VARIABLES STUDIED DURING PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS

The parametric analysis presented in this chapter varied a selection of four parameters: the

recentering ratio (β), the number of stories (n) and bays (nb), and the bay length (L). Three different

values of each parameter were used as shown in Table 9.1 and Figure 9.1. All permutations of these

variables were considered totalling 81 frame types.

Table 9.1. Parameter definition for variable analysis

Figure 9.1. Sketch of a selection of frames used during parametric analysis

In order to make the study practical a series of assumptions were required in order to facilitate the

analyses:

• The building was an office structure (live load Q = 3 kPa), with exception of the final floor which

has a roof top penthouse. This resulted in a total seismic flooring weight (dead plus 30% of live

loading) of 5.1 kPa.

• Each frame had a tributary width of 2.5 m and was considered as the external frame of a building

with frames spaced at 5 m centre to centre.

• The building was situated in Southern Italy and was therefore designed for the seismic hazard of

that region (i.e. PGA=0.44 g). This was the same seismic hazard used in the design of the test frame

presented in Chapter 6.

• Displacement Based Design (DBD) was used in order to calculate design base shear. In order to

do this a design drift of θd = 1.8% under Ultimate Limit State (ULS) loading was selected. A

ductility of μ = 2 and a post yield ratio of r = 0.1 was assumed in order to calculate the spectrum

reduction due to hysteretic damping.

• A linear extrapolation of the design displacement spectrum was assumed following the constant

(plateau) displacement region of the code defined spectrum (shown as a dashed line in Figure 9.10).

• Section sizes aimed to have a ratio between height (hc, hb) and width (bc, bb) as close as possible

to 3:2. Section sizes were increase in 0.05 m increments. An example beam and column are

displayed in Figure 9.2.

• Beam sizes and column sizes were selected to be the same.

• Post-tensioned elements were selected as 26.5 mm high strength steel bars (Apt = 552 mm).

Where one bar was not sufficient several (up to 4) bars were used. All post-tensioning was placed at

the centre of the beam.

• Fused type dissipative reinforcing was used in frames with recentering ratios (β=Mpt/Mt) less than

1. Dissipative reinforcing was placed at 100 mm from the external edge of each beam and at 50 mm

from the external edge of each column. Grade300 steel (fy = 300 MPa) was used.

• Frames were considered to be ‘seismic only’ meaning that they carried no gravity loading.

• A generic Laminated Veneer Lumber, LVL11, engineered timber was considered as the beam and

column material. Material properties are presented in Table 9.2

Figure 9.2. Example of typical a) beam and b) column used for parametric analysis of post-

tensioned timber frames.

Table 9.2. Material properties used for parametric analysis of post-tensioned timber frames.