Abstract
The hall-style timber frame built in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960–1368 AD) is one of the most important structural prototypes of the traditional timber architecture in East Asia. The current research, through a typical case of the main hall of Baoguo Temple in Ningbo, China, aims to present an accurate and effective seismic performance evaluation method applicable to hall-style timber structures without time–cost expenditure. To obtain more realistic seismic response of hall-style timber frame, a simplified numerical model of the main hall of Baoguo Temple is established based on in situ measurements and low-cycle reversed loading tests results of mortise–tenon joints, moreover, nonlinear static pushover analysis has been performed to quantify the seismic performance levels under five loading conditions. The generalized force–deformation relationship of the timber plastic hinges is modified regarding to the moment–rotation curves of four special mortise–tenon joints. The seismic behaviour of global hall-style timber frame is evaluated through capacity spectrum method and verified by time history analysis, local failure mechanisms are evaluated by the occurrence sequence of plastic hinges. Finally, a performance-based assessment method adequate for the traditional hall-style timber architectures has been proposed with comparison to the current codes. The results have shown that the structural stiffness of the width-direction is less than that of the depth direction due to the asymmetrical configuration of the timber frame, and the building can maintain a stable state under large lateral displacement before collapsing. The inter-storey drift angles of the building under peak ground accelerations of 0.1 g, 0.2 g, and 0.3 g are less than the suggested ultimate values in the current local codes, however, the main hall represents to be more vulnerable to damage when suffer seismic action along the width-direction. This research can provide a reference for seismic performance evaluation and preventive conservation of ancient hall-style timber architectural heritage.
Highlights
In the development process of traditional architecture in East Asia, ancient timber building is the main composition implemented in the existing architectural heritage
The timber plastic hinges are modified based on the low-cycle cyclic load test data of four different mortise–tenon joints to simulate the elastoplastic behaviours of the hall-style timber frame
The conclusions drawn from this article are summarized as follows: (1) Compared to other ancient timber structures, construction methods are conducive in increasing the integrity of the whole structure: main load-bearing beams and columns intersect directly by the mortise–tenon joints instead of Dou-gong set; the hallstyle building is usually a square plane with the width:depth:height ratio is close to 1:1:1, indicating that the global structure can be regarded as an idealized single-degree-of-freedom system for simulation
Summary
In the development process of traditional architecture in East Asia, ancient timber building is the main composition implemented in the existing architectural heritage. Zhang et al [3] applied the fast nonlinear analytical method to predict the global response of traditional Chinese timber buildings under seismic excitation, considering the mechanical behaviour of sliding column roots, mortise–tenon joints and Dou-Gong (bracket sets). Chang et al [9] and Fujita et al [10] have conducted moment resisting tests of Nuki-column joints, which are commonly used in traditional timber structures of Japan and Taiwan, to investigate the mechanical models and complex behaviour of this kind of joint. The above research illustrates that mortise–tenon joints have a crucial effect on the seismic responses of the global structure, and the bearing capacity and failure modes of the joints are the most important basis for the overall timber frame performance evaluation
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