Feasibility study of a high-rise CLT building in a seismic area with high wind loads : A finite element approach

Abstract: Timber has been used as a construction material for thousands of years. However,the inventions of stronger materials and increased construction of taller buildings hasled to decreased use of wood products. This evolution has contributed significantlyto climate change, to such an extent that it has become a focal point to mitigate theusage of these materials. Several incentives have been formulated in favor of theclimate goals, one of which is the Reinventing cities competition. The building ofinterest was the winner of that competition for an underdeveloped region in Reykjavík.It is in its pre-design phase at Efla consulting company and will be the tallest timberbuilding in Iceland. Iceland is an island in the Atlantic ocean and is located on plateboundaries. Therefore the country experiences high winds and seismic activity. Windand seismic loads are the most critical lateral loads to consider in the design of highrise buildings. Especially in timber buildings due to variations in material propertiesand its lightweight. In this master thesis the building was modeled and analyzed withrespect to horizontal deflection and acceleration caused by the previously mentionedloads. The study includes a literature review of stabilization options, estimation ofthe material properties and connections, calculations of lateral loads on the irregularlyshaped building, modeling of the structure including two stabilization options and thecomparison of their efficiency. The two stabilizing options investigated consisted ofa cross laminated timber (CLT) core and a concrete core. The results demonstratedthat the current design does not provide sufficient stabilization under the lateral loadsfor neither of the two cases, although the concrete core performed significantly better.However, additional testing of possible improvements in the structure indicate that it ispossible to fulfill requirements through alterations of the design.