Seismic performance of laminated timber frames with fiber‐reinforced joints

Abstract A series of dynamic experiments was performed on two‐story glue‐laminated timber frames. The tests included sinusoidal sweeps in one direction, arbitrary signals simulating earthquake loads in two directions, and harmonic free vibration at the fundamental frequency. Two experimental frames were manufactured and tested: (1) a control with horizontal laminations and no reinforcement at joint areas, and (2) a new frame design with densified material in the joint area that was further reinforced by glass‐fiber composite material. Preliminary tests of scaled and full‐size beam‐to‐column connections were performed to obtain connection characteristics needed for subsequent analytical modeling. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.