INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FLOOR DIAPHRAGMS AND SEGMENTED CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER SHEAR WALLS

This paper presents a study on the effects of the interactions between floor diaphragms and segmented cross-laminated timber shear walls. An analytical model of a beam on a bed of elastic springs is used to describe such an interaction for the case of two- and three-panel segmented shear walls. The analytical model is, firstly, validated by comparing its results with those of a numerical model developed in SAP2000 and, secondly, used for the definition of an equivalent spring which simulates the effects of the floor-wall interaction in a simpler yet reliable way. In the study, it is shown that the equivalent spring can be used to take into account the effects of the floor-wall interactions for the cases of two- and three-panel segmented shear walls. The internal actions of the floor element as well as the increase of rocking stiffness due to such interaction are discussed in the final part of the study.