The following paper describes stage one of testing investigating feasible sources of passive damping for post tensioned glue laminated timber structures. The innovative high seismic performance system combines the use of precast concrete PRESSS technology (Priestley et al. 1999) and engineered wood product combining the use of post tensioning rods or cables with large timber members. The combination of these two elements provides elastic recentering to the structure while the addition of some form of energy release system gives the desirable ‘flag shaped’ hysteretic response under lateral loading. Testing has been performed on a full scale beam to column joint in the University of Basilicata laboratory as part of a collaborative effort with the University of Canterbury in Christchurch New Zealand and HOLZBAU SUD. 

Testing already performed at the University of Canterbury has gone a long way in demonstrating the excellent performance of the system under significant drift levels with both small (Palermo et al. 2005) and large (Iqbal et al. 2010; Newcombe et al. 2010) scale testing along with investigations into the competitiveness of the systems in terms of cost and construction time compared with more traditional materials (Smith 2008).

Current testing is aimed at further improvement of the system through additional energy release systems. Testing also extends to the use of glue laminated timber which has previously not been used. After initial benchmark post tension only testing various sources of hysteretic and viscous damping were added and investigated under both quasi-static and dynamic loading. Modelling has also been performed investigate the effectiveness of these systems on a global, full frame level, thus taking a step forward to a sustainable, earthquake resistant society.

REFERENCES

Iqbal, A., Pampanin, S., Palermo, A., and Buchanan, A. H. (2010). "Seismic Performance of Full-scale Post-tensioned Timber Beam-column Joints." 11th World Conference on Timber Engineering, Riva del Garda, Trentino, Italy, 10.

Newcombe, M. P., Pampanin, S., and Buchanan, A. H. (2010). "Experimental Testing of a Two-Storey Post-Tensioned Timber Building." 9th US National & 10th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Toronto, Canada, 8.

Palermo, A., Pampanin, S., Buchanan, A., and Newcombe, M. (2005). "Seismic Design of Multi-Storey Buildings using Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)." 2005 New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Conference, Wairakei Resort, Taupo, New Zealand.

Priestley, N., Sritharan, S., Conley, J., and Pampanin, S. (1999). "Preliminary Results and Conclusions From the PRESSS Five-Story Precast Concrete Test Building." PCI Journal(November-December 1999), 42-67.

Smith, T. (2008). "Feasibility of Multi Storey Post-tensioned Timber Buildings," University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.