Experimentally based q-factor estimation of cross-laminated timber walls

Behaviour factor values applicable to cross-laminated timber (CLT) buildings are determined and several variables influencing construction are examined. The necessary experimental tests and analytical interpretation for estimating the behaviour factors for CLT wall systems, characterised as they are by several types of layout, were performed. The information given in this paper may be used to estimate the behaviour factor of whole CLT buildings. The results show that the proposed q-factors confirm that construction design decisions affect the seismic responses of buildings, as opposed to single values applied to all CLT buildings. The experimentally based approach used here was applied to physical test data for five CLT shear-wall arrangements. The results may be applied to a wide range of design situations, as analyses of common CLT specimens and simple generalisation of this method can be extended to other systems and configurations.