College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
College - Author 4
College of Engineering
Department - Author 4
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Advisor
Giovanni De Francesco, College of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Funding Source
Cal Poly’s College of Engineering Dean’s Innovation Fund, Paul & Sandi Bonderson, Kim Vorrath, and The Sprague Foundation.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks for the material donations from Home Depot and Simpson Strong Tie.
Date
10-2025
Abstract/Summary
Wood houses dominate the construction landscape in the United States (U.S.), with over 94% of new homes constructed in 2022 being wood framed. New Zealand shares a similar construction landscape, with building practices for wood houses like those in California. Nevertheless, the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence damaged nearly three quarters of the housing stock in the region. A total of 150,000 homes were damaged, with about one fifth exceeding NZ$100,000 in damage. To assess the likelihood of economic losses of California’s timber houses, a shake table testing campaign is underway at the California Polytechnic State University Advanced Technology Laboratory in San Luis Obispo. A full-scale, two-story timber specimen—designed with typical light-frame construction details—is being tested with representative nonstructural components, including windows, doors, and sliding doors. This project will provide experimental evidence of earthquake-induced economic losses in timber houses and serve as a foundation for developing mitigation strategies to reduce the economic impact on our society of future earthquake events.
October 1, 2025.
Included in
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/ceng_surp/101