In the world’s largest-ever earthquake simulation, conducted in Japan, a full-scale, six-story condo building made from wood atop a single-story of steel got good
marks from researchers
for stability and safety after being shaken for 40 seconds in a simulated
7.5 magnitude earthquake.
The results demonstrated that wood-frame buildings can be built to withstand
major earthquakes and will help researchers validate new design methods for
mid-rise, wood-framed buildings in urban, earthquake-prone areas. The
advances ultimately will improve the construction and safety of wood
buildings in the U.S. and around the world.
"This week’s test confirms what we know to be true about wood’s strength for
use in disaster-prone areas. Along with wood’s renewability, low life-cycle
environmental impacts, and ability to sequester carbon, wood provides the
optimal combination of green building and stability for earthquake-prone
areas," said Robert Glowinski, AF&PA Group Vice President for Forestry and
Wood Products. "Moving forward we can take invaluable information from this
test to provide new safe wood building options for earthquake zones, as well
as for other applications. Construction innovations are continually
demonstrating the flexibility and superiority of wood and this research
reinforces that."
Conducted in Miki City, near Kobe, Japan, on the world’s largest earthquake
shake table at Japan’s National Research Institute for Earth Science and
Disaster Prevention, the simulation was sponsored by the
U.S. National Science Foundation and conducted by researchers from
Colorado State University, along with advisors from industry and
academia. American Forest & Paper Association’s wood engineering staff
served on the advisory committee to the project and AF&PA’s Tokyo staff
provided local support.
This is an article from the American Wood Council Website.
To see more from the American Wood Council, please go to this link: http://www.awc.org