Testing launched to support revision of Small Scaled Building Code – Timber Structures (SSBC-TS)
A testing project has been initiated in South Korea with the objective of providing additional prescriptive wood wall bracing options for the Small Scaled Building Code-Timber Structure (also known as SSBC-TS).
The current code permits two types of wood wall bracing methods:
- Wood structural panel (WSP): this is a standard light-wood frame shearwall design with 11mm plywood or OSB sheathing panel.
- Single layered MIDPLYTM shearwall: a shearwall system developed by FPinnovations that utilizes a novel arrangement of sheathing and framing members combined with a special nailing technique.
In response to renewed interest in seismic design considerations due to heightened awareness of earthquake hazards, Canada Wood Korea has proposed to Korean code writers that the SSBC-TS be expanded to include more wood shearwall design options. Collaborating with the original drafter, we will conduct exploratory testing to determine the performance of several innovative wood wall bracing options, including the exterior, interior and narrow wall configurations that provide improved strength and versatility over the existing methods and expand designers’ choices.
The focus of the testing was on 6 types of WSP shear walls, 1 type of gypsum board shear wall (GB) and 2 types of alternate braced walls (ABW) (nailed laminated timber wall). Further testing will be carried out on ABW systems built with CLT, SIP and Plylam based on the evaluation against current baseline test results.
The tests will be continued throughout this summer and the results of this testing program are expected to provide the basis for the code revision.