Seismic Response of Light-Frame Wood Buildings

A general three-dimensional (3D) model of light-frame wood buildings is presented. The model has the capabilities of dealing with different structural configurations and different types of loading. Comprehensive verification studies are performed to check the accuracy of the model by comparing with some available experimental data. The proposed model shows excellent correlation with the experimental data. As an application, investigations are conducted to evaluate the seismic response of light-frame wood buildings with different geometric configurations. The effects of the asymmetric in-plane stiffness, dimensions of the horizontal diaphragm, the presence of partition walls, and the ground motion intensity on the structural response are studied. The corresponding load distribution of lateral forces among the shear walls and the deflections of horizontal diaphragms are the main parameters of this study. The application study indicates that rigidity of the horizontal diaphragm is influenced by its dimensions and that partition walls resist a substantial amount of seismic forces depending on their stiffness and the dimensions of the horizontal diaphragm.