Evaluation of seismic response of the cross-laminated timber (clt) multi-storey residential building under the february 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes

Abstract

The February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes exposed the vulnerabilities of existing RC structures, causing thousands of buildings to collapse or sustain severe damage, especially in the hardest-hit provinces. Cross-laminated timber (CLT), one of the industrial wood materials, is used as an alternative to RC in buildings in earthquake zones around the world due to its lightness and many positive features. The aim of the study is to examine the dynamic behavior of multi-storey residential buildings built with the CLT shear wall system, with limited application in Turkey, under earthquake loads and to draw attention to the material selection and sizing to be used in the structural elements of earthquake-resistant buildings. Using TimberTech (2022) software, a five-story building with CLT walls was analyzed under linear dynamic conditions. The study shows while the model provides all the verifications in the solution according to Eurocode for soil type C, it is inadequate under the seismic data of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake.