The significance of the response of mass timber connections to loading conditions such as seismic or high wind events grows over time with the increase in maximum height now permitted for mass timber buildings under the 2021 IBC updates. This is of rising importance knowing that the Cascadia subduction zone, located on the west coast of the North American continent, is a 600-mile-long fault capable of generating an earthquake magnitude of 9.0 or higher.
In this study, we explore the drift capacity of MEGANT E 450×150×50 connectors via pushover experiments. Our results demonstrate that these connectors display ductile behaviour, allowing them to withstand interstory drifts of up to 4% and 7.2% in cyclic and monotonic tests, respectively. Furthermore, our tests revealed that these connectors were able to maintain their intended design shear load-carrying capacity throughout the duration of the experiments. This research provides valuable insights into the performance of MEGANT E connectors, which can serve as a platform for improved future design considerations.
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