Lateral Performance Study on Timber Frame Structure with Semi-Rigid Connections

Abstract:

A structural analysis was conducted on semi-rigid timber portal frame; formulas were derived in terms of the internal force and lateral stiffness, and the influence of the semirigid joint was discussed. Meanwhile, experimental tests were carried out on three fullscale timber portal frames and five bolted timber connections to study the lateral performance of the frames and the moment resistance of the connections. For consistency, the connections from the portal frames and the connections for bending tests were of the same configuration. Finally, a comparative analysis was made to verify the derived formulas.

Key words:timber frame structure; semi-rigid joint; lateral performance; theoretical analysis; experimental study