Seismic behavior of connections for buildings in CLT

CLT is one of the most efficient wood engineered products available as an alternative to concrete or masonry buildings, and it is now increasing in popularity. CLT panels have been manufactured in Europe for more than ten years, and they are now widely used throughout the continent, with good results in terms of structural behavior, building speed, and quality housing. In these systems, resistance to horizontal actions - wind and earthquakes - is entrusted to metal connector systems arranged in such a way as to absorb the horizontal forces and to prevent the uplift effects of the wall. Shear-type connectors (such as screws or angle brackets) are used to ensure the transfer of shear actions, and so called “hold-downs” are adopted in order to counteract the tense actions causing the wall’s rocking behavior. Moreover, metal connection systems of other types are usually adopted in between vertical and horizontal diaphragms to ensure a “box like” behavior. This paper illustrates the types of structural connection system commonly adopted in multi-storey buildings and presents recent research carried out at the University of Trento on the seismic behavior of connections for buildings in CLT.