Dr. Pouria Bahmani conducted a series of shake table tests at a Department of Defense (DOD) facility in Champaign, Illinois, where he investigated an innovative modular shelter made from thermally modified cross-laminated timber (CLT).
This new type of thermally modified CLT product uses Western Hemlock, a highly economical and accessible timber species that grows prolifically across the Pacific Northwest. This shelter engineered to withstand extreme seismic conditions and underwent triaxial motion to simulate severe earthquake scenarios. Remarkably, the shelter endured spectral accelerations of approximately 5g under ground motions with a return period of over 2,500 years, validating its seismic design and demonstrating the resilience of the thermally modified CLT panels. [Watch video]
As the lead on the seismic design and shake table test program, Dr. Pouria collaborated with the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC), which provided the gravity design, fabrication, and assembly of the modular unit. Over the past two years, he has worked closely with CRTC and the DOD, conducting comprehensive experimental tests at PACCAR Laboratories to analyze the mechanical and structural behavior of thermally modified CLT panels. [Read more…]