Procedures for seismic characterization of traditional and modern wooden building types

The paper analyzes different wooden buildings types used in past and nowadays to realized Low-Rise and Mid-Rise timber structures from the seismic point of view. A preliminary overview about the procedures prescribed by codes for the seismic characterization of the timber building systems is given. Then the definition of the behaviour Q-Factor in the literature and its relevance in design of structures in seismic areas is treated. Available research methods for estimating the Q-Factor based on the verification of the nonlinear seismic response of entire buildings by means of experimental tests and numerical simulations are presented and analyzed. The relevance of a proper definition of the yielding limit and of failure condition in the seismic characterization of wooden building systems is treated. Moreover, a comparison between the Q-Factor estimations obtained using different calculation methods is presented. Lastly, the appropriate Q-Factor values are given for a reliable and safe seismic design of buildings realized using the examined wooden constructive systems.