Development of a structural system for buildings with high energy absorption utilizing both wood-based materials and cold-formed steel framing

A structural system for buildings was developed that combined wood-based materials and cold-formed steel framing. This structural system provides strong earthquake protection because the shear walls with built-in friction mechanisms have high energy absorption performance. First, the mechanical properties related to the shear force transmission of the screw joint between the cross laminated timber used for the floorboard and the cold-formed steel framing were tested. The results showed that the strength varies depending on the steel thickness and the screw length, and exhibited lower than that predicted according to design formulas presented in past research, especially under repeated loading. Next, tests were performed to examine the constructability and seismic performance of the structural system using a real scale two-story frame. It was found that the proposed structural system can be constructed easily in a short time and has extremely stable dynamic performance even under strong repetitive seismic wave inputs.