Description

The use of timber in the construction of multi-storey buildings in seismic regions has significantly increased in recent years.  As timber is a relatively new material for the construction of larger structures, engineers face new challenges related to the evaluation of the behaviour of these structures during earthquakes.

Despite a range of research data available on structures made of massive timber such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) or cross-laminated timber (CLT), there are still many unanswered questions, particularly where timber is used in conjunction with other structural materials,

The benefits of these hybrid structures include more efficient use of materials and improved seismic resistance.

This report presents a review of literature on the current knowledge surrounding timber-based hybrid buildings. It covers experimental and numerical research, built applications, connections between elements and design methodologies related to hybrid timber buildings. This report examines the benefits and shortcomings of continued developments of these buildings.

Scope

The main objectives of this report are to:

• summarise the types of timber-based hybrid structural systems that have been investigated to date and what methods of verification have been employed
• present examples  of timber-based hybrid buildings currently constructed or planned for construction
• identify major code provisions and design methods that impact the implementation of larger timber-based hybrid structures
• identify gaps in current knowledge and make suggestions for future research that would provide critical information on the design and performance of timber-based hybrid buildings.