Analysis of the seismic performance of a two-storey log house

The dearth of knowledge on the load resistance mechanisms of log houses and the need to develop numerical models that are capable of simulating the actual behaviour of these structures has pushed efforts to research the relatively unexplored aspects of log house construction. The aim of the research that is presented in this paper is to build a working model of a log house that will contribute towards understanding the behaviour of these structures under seismic loading. The paper presents the results of a series of shaking table tests conducted on a log house, and goes on to develop a numerical model of the tested house. The finite-element model has been created in SAP2000 and validated against the experimental results. The modelling assumptions and the difficulties involved in the process are described, and, finally, a discussion on the effects of the variation of different physical and material parameters on the results yielded by the model is provided.