Seismic timber concentric braced frames with steel link: design and analysis

Abstract

The seismic performance of dissipative timber structures is strongly influenced by the elastic‐fragile behavior of the material and the dissipation capacity is generally concentrated in steel connections, as indicated in the current seismic standards for timber structures. However, the connections should be preserved to ensure structural safety. This paper investigates an alternative approach for timber framed structures, where innovative joints equipped with steel links are designed to provide energy dissipation through cycles of plastic deformation. In particular, a Concentric Braced Frame with a single diagonal (D‐CBF), with dissipative steel link at the brace ends, was designed and numerically studied through a non‐linear incremental static analysis by using the ABAQUS software. In this regard, the design approach is discussed, then the behavior of the timber diagonal equipped with steel links is evaluated. The results demonstrate that plastic deformations develop in the steel links before the failure of timber members and steel connections, validating the effectiveness of the proposed system.