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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Behnam Salehabadi

  • B.Sc. (Sharif University of Technology, 2022)

Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Master of Applied Science

Topic

Effects of Ground Motion Variations on the Seismic Performance of Timber Structures

Department of Civil Engineering

Date & location

  • Tuesday, September 8, 2026

  • 10:00 A.M.

  • Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Lina Zhou, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

  • Dr. Tuna Onur, Department of Civil Engineering, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

  • Dr. Minghao Li, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship, University of British Columbia 

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Scott McIndow, Department of Chemistry, UVic 

Abstract

The seismic response of timber structures is influenced not only by ground-motion intensity and frequency content but also by specific characteristics of earthquake loading. In this thesis, the effects of two such characteristics, peak-intensity duration and pulse-like near-fault ground motions, on the structural response of light wood-frame (LWF) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures were investigated.

A set of representative timber archetypes was modelled and analysed using nonlinear time-history analysis within an incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) framework. Ground-motion records were selected and processed to examine the influence of each characteristic. Peak-intensity duration was examined using subduction earthquake records modified by extending the strong-motion phase, while pulse-like effects were studied through a controlled comparison of pulse-like and non-pulse-like near-fault records from the same earthquake. Structural response was evaluated primarily in terms of interstorey drift ratios, hysteretic behaviour, and cumulative energy measures.

The IDA results indicated that extending the peak-intensity duration did not systematically influence near-collapse intensity or interstorey drift ratios in either the LWF or CLT archetypes. Variations in response were observed across individual records and structures, but no consistent relationship emerged between peak-intensity duration and seismic demand, indicating that peak-intensity duration, as implemented in this study, did not emerge as a governing parameter for the systems considered.

Pulse-like ground motions, by comparison, generally produced greater deformation demands at lower intensity levels than non-pulse-like records. This behaviour was reflected in the IDA results and near-collapse drift profiles, as well as in single-record response comparisons that exhibited larger displacements, higher base shear demands, and increased energy dissipation under pulse-like excitation. These results align with broader findings in earthquake engineering that velocity pulses in near-fault records amplify structural response, underscoring the heightened seismic demand associated with pulse-like motions compared with non-pulse records.

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