Ductile Behavior of Timber Structures under Strong Dynamic Loads

Due to their comparatively low mass that implies reduced horizontal dynamic loads even during strong earthquakes, wood-made buildings might be a good choice in seismic prone regions. To meet the modern design philosophy requirements, however, such structures should be able to behave in a ductile way under exceptional events. By presenting a brief review of the latest developments in the field, this chapter investigates on when and to what extent historical and modern timber buildings may exhibit a ductile and dissipative behavior. A special focus is given to the crucial role of connections and to the difficulties involved by their mechanical model when carrying out code-based non-linear dynamic analyses. Although a ductile behavior is typically required under strong earthquakes, it is to note that a well-designed ductile structure may also be able to withstand other exceptional events as, for instance, tornadoes or blasts.