Post-tensioned low damage CLT walls with replaceable hysteretic devices - Concept, experimental and numerical characterization

This paper deals with the conception, the experimental and numerical characterization of an innovative post-tensioned CLT wall system equipped with external and replaceable hysteretic devices. The cyclic behavior of the post-tensioned walls was firstly investigated at the mechanical laboratory of CIRI-EC of University of Bologna by means of experimental tests on single component of the structural system and on the full-scale post-tensioned CLT walls prototypes. Results from experimental tests demonstrate the capability of the conceived post-tensioned wall systems to withstand significant drift without damage on the main timber and steel components. A good dissipative capacity of the wall configurations equipped with dissipaters was also observed. A nonlinear Finite Element model capable of reproducing the wall system hysteretic behavior was developed in the OpenSees framework. Implemented FE numerical model demonstrated a good capability of reproducing the experimental response.