An innovative self-centering slip-friction connection system for seismic damage avoidance design of hybrid timber-steel moment resisting frames

Abstract

As connections are one of the most critical components in any type of structures, in this research the application of an innovative Resilient Slip Friction (RSF) connection in a hybrid timber‐steel moment resisting frame was assessed to propose an efficient lateral load resisting system which can be used in multi‐story timber‐based buildings to dissipate seismic energy with no plastic damage and also provide a resilient structural performance preventing residual drifts.
Energy dissipation mechanism of sliding joints is one of the most efficient amongst passive devices. The sliding friction joint concept was developed for earthquake resistant steel structures (Butterworth 2000, Clifton et al. 2007, Popov et al. 1995). However, the lack of self‐centring in these joints requires the use of an additional system to bring back the structure to its initial position after an earthquake. This challenge was overcome by introducing a cost‐effective slip‐friction joint with desirable self‐centring characteristic.
It was observed that the main advantages of the proposed LLRS is its high ductility and self‐centring owing to the application of the novel RSF joint. The proposed study provides an advanced engineering solution for low damage design of timber‐based hybrid buildings. It should be noted that the results from this study could also be applicable for other types of
structures such as steel and concrete as a damage avoidance approach for the improvement of seismic performance.