Probabilistic serviceability-performance assessment of tall mass-timber buildings subjected to stochastic wind loads: Part I - structural design and wind tunnel testing

Tall mass-timber buildings utilize engineered wood panels to form their main gravity and lateral load resisting systems, which makes them lighter and very flexible. As a result, frequent exposure to excessive wind-induced vibrations can cause occupant discomfort and unserviceability due to horizontal floor acceleration and excessive deflection. Therefore, the objective of this and the companion paper is to assess the serviceability performance of tall mass-timber buildings probabilistically. For this purpose, the Alan G. Davenport Wind Loading Chain is adapted as a probabilistic Performance-Based Wind Engineering framework. The framework is applied to quantify the serviceability performance of a 102-m tall mass-timber building. In this paper, a complete tall-mass timber building structural design process is outlined. Wind loads are obtained from aerodynamic wind tunnel tests conducted at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory at Western University. The design process involves preliminary strength design using the provisions of building codes, design revisions using wind load from wind tunnel tests, and serviceability checks. The structural design of the case study tall mass-timber building considers the axial compression, in-plane-shear, and in-plane and out-of-plane bending moment demands, along with their interactions due to gravity and wind loads. Dynamic analysis is carried out to assess the drift performance of the case study mass-timber building. The results show that the building satisfies the drift requirements prescribed by the building codes with a small safety margin. For the designed tall mass-timber building, an in-depth probabilistic serviceability-performance assessment and vulnerability estimations are presented in the companion paper.