Experimental Seismic Response of a Full-Scale Light-Frame Wood Building

A full-scale, two-story, light-frame wood townhouse building, designed according to modern U.S. engineered seismic design requirements, was tested on two triaxial shake tables operating in unison. The main objective of this experimental study was to determine the dynamic characteristics and the seismic performance of the test building under various base input intensities, representative of both ordinary and near-field ground motions in southern California. The building was tested with and without interior (gypsum wallboard) and exterior (stucco) wall finishes. The test results revealed that the installation of gypsum wallboard to the interior surfaces of structural wood sheathed walls substantially improved the seismic response of the test building. The application of exterior stucco further improved the seismic response of the test building, particularly in its longitudinal direction, where the shear response of low aspect ratio wall piers dominated. These shake table test results provide the evidence of the significant influence that wall finish materials have on the behavior of lateral load-resisting systems in light-frame wood construction.