Seismic Performance of Conventional Wood-Frame Buildings (original) (raw)

Results from shake table tests of full-scale specimens and cases of detailed non-linear analysis have shown that for the range of conventional wood-frame buildings tested, structural collapse is well above 0.5 g peak ground acceleration or spectral acceleration Sa(0.2) = 1.0. This corresponds in general with the observations of earthquake damage of wood-frame buildings that those without major weaknesses, such as weak or soft storeys and lack of anchor bolts, are able to survive ground shaking of the order of 0.5 and 0.6 g without collapse. Parametric studies with code-prescribed static analysis of 1, 2 and 3 storey wood-frame buildings give lower relative seismic resistance for large and multi-storey buildings than for small square buildings. Those results should be taken as indicators of behavioural trends, rather than definitive final results since 1) the contributions of the finishing materials, such as exterior stucco and interior gypsum wall board, have not been included and 2...