Wind & Seismic

DESIGN FOR WIND LOADING

20 useful references, partly summarised here. The first step

Design of CLT buildings for wind loading should be carried

As with other materials in moderate or high seismic

out using loads from AS/NZS 1170.2. This standard gives

methods for calculating the wind actions based on the
location, size, and shape of the building, the site wind
speed and site exposure multipliers, considering both
internal and external wind pressures. Structural design to
resist these wind actions should be carried out using NZS
3603:199.

again is provision of a suitable lateral load resisting system.

regions, it is essential to carry out capacity design to
ensure that the brittle elements of the structure are never
loaded to their capacity, so that inelastic deformations
occur in selected ductile elements which are the weak
links in the overall structure. For CLT structures, it is essential
to design the connections between panels as the ductile
weak links. A hierarchy of strength can be applied between

The wall load capacity tables in this Design Guide can be

the various connections (wall to wall, wall to foundation,

used to give an indication of the shear capacity of CLT

and wall to floor diaphragm connections) to ensure that

walls. The main part of design for wind loading will be

the desired failure mechanism is achieved.

the design of connections to resist the forces occurring

Ductility in the connections comes from ductile behaviour

between CLT floor and wall panels, and between CLT wall
panels and their foundations. The first step is provision of
a suitable structure for the building with a clearly defined
lateral load resisting system.

of the fasteners themselves, which are the nails, screws

or rivets used to connect the the CLT panels together.
These fasteners have a reasonable level of ductility, but
their capacity can drop suddenly after the individual
fasteners fail, and crushing of wood occurs behind the

DESIGN FOR SEISMIC LOADING

individual fasteners during cyclic loading; this results in

a very pinched hysteresis loop. Design for a higher level

CLT buildings can be designed to have excellent resistance

of ductility may be possible with ductile yielding of steel

to earthquakes because CLT panels are light weight and

brackets rather than relying on yielding of the fasteners.

have excellent shear resistance. In low seismic regions,

Conventional force-based seismic design can be carried

seismic design is mainly a matter of determining the lateral

out in accordance with NZS 1170.5. Calculation of seismic

seismic actions from NZS 1170.5, comparing these with

forces requires an assumption about the ductility of

the wind actions, and allocating the larger of the two

the structural system. The FPInnovations Design Guide

to the lateral load resisting system. In moderate or high

shows how a conservative ductility factor of 2.0 can be

seismic regions it becomes important to provide some

derived for CLT panel buildings with ductile connections

ductility, to limit the seismic forces in the structure, and

(FPInnovations, 2012).

to allow for possible larger shaking than the design level

A modern extension of seismic design beyond standard

earthquake.Ductilitymustcome fromthe designof ductile

connections between the CLT panels because the panels
themselves have no ductility when loaded in shear to their
ultimate capacity.

design methods is the use of post-tensioned steel tendons

to anchor the CLT panels to the foundations, allowing
controlled rocking during severe earthquakes with energy
dissipation occurring in carefully selected locations, using

An excellent summary of seismic performance of CLT

the Pres-Lam technology developed for Expan buildings at

buildings is given in Chapter 4 of the FPInnovations CLT

the University of Canterbury.

Design Guide (FPInnovations, 2012), which includes over

Cross Laminated Timber Design Guide V1.4 NZ

XLam NZ Limited