Cyclic Behavior of Timber Column Concealed Base Joint

Abstract

This paper presents experimental and numerical tests on a recently developed timber column concealed base joint. This joint was designed to replace the wood-wood connection found in the post-and-beam structure of Hanok, the traditional Korean timber house. The use of metallic connectors provides an increased ductility and energy dissipation for a better performance under reversed loading, especially seismic. In this study, we investigate the performance of the joint under pseudo-static reversed cyclic moment loading through the study of its ductility and energy dissipation. We first perform experimental tests. Results show that the failure occurs in the metallic connector itself because of stress concentrations, while no brittle fracture of wood occur. Subsequent numerical simulations using a refined finite element model confirm these conclusions. Then, using a practical modification of the joint configuration with limited visual impact, we improve the ductility and energy dissipation of the joint while retaining a same level of rotational strength as the originally designed configuration. We conclude that the joint has a satisfying behavior under reversed moment loading for use in earthquake resistant timber structure in low to moderate seismicity areas like Korea.