Lateral load behavior of connections in Assam-type wooden houses in the Himalayan region of India

Abstract

Traditional Assam-type wooden houses have performed well in the seismically active north-eastern Himalayan region of India. Such performance is attributed to various timber connections, unique infill-frame connections, timber elements, and light-weight materials. Connections govern the overall performance of any timber frame structure under lateral loading. Therefore, it is essential to study the behavior of each connection of Assam-type houses under relevant loading conditions to gain an insight on their lateral load behavior. The behavior of seven different connections generally provided in Assam-type houses was evaluated in the present study using quasi-static cyclic tests and pull-out tests. Most of the primary connections showed promising performance in terms of high deformability and ductile behavior. The primary connections of the timber frame hardly suffered any significant damage under the lateral loading. The performance was much superior when compared to the behavior of connections in other vernacular houses. The experimental results will help in better understanding of the lateral load behavior of such houses as well as in developing and calibrating the numerical models for predicting the seismic response of not only traditional Assam-type houses but also other timber-framed houses.