Experimental Investigation on the Seismic Behavior of the Semi-Rigid One-Way Straight Mortise-Tenon Joint of a Historical Timber Building

Abstract

This article aims to disclose that the deformation and damages of the one-way straight mortise-tenon (OWSMT) joint, the key force transmission connection of traditional wood buildings, lead to a significant reduction in structural safety of ancient timber structure. For this purpose, the damage of mortise joint in practical engineering wassimulated by controlling the gap and width between mortise and tenon. A total of 23 groups of scaled 1:2 OWSMT joint specimens were fabricated and tested subjected to cyclic loadings, and the hysteretic curves of OWSMT joint with different damage degrees were obtained. Through skeleton curves, stiffness degradation curves, and equivalent viscous damping curves of the OWSMT joint, the seismic performance of damaged wood joints was quantitatively analyzed. The results show that, with the increase in the gap between the tenon and the mortise, the slip between them became increasingly obvious, the fullness and peak of the hysteresis curve gradually decreased, the gradient of the skeleton curve also dropped, and both the stiffness degradation curve and the equivalent viscous damping curve are gradually reduced. The research findings shed new light on the seismic assessment of aging timber buildings.