Effect of Inclination Damage on Lateral Performance of Traditional Timber Frame with Initially Vertical or Inclined Columns

This paper aimed to study the effect of inclination damage on lateral performance of traditional timber frame with initially vertical or inclined columns. Firstly, the analytical models of the column foot (CF) applicable to both initially vertical or inclined timber columns and the mortise-tenon (MT) joint with gap are introduced. Then the hybrid element models for timber frames with initially vertical or inclined columns are established considering inclination damage. Furthermore, the degradation effect of inclination damage on lateral performances of timber frames with initially vertical or inclined columns is analyzed, and the performance differences between two types of timber frames are compared. It is found that the elastic lateral stiffness of timber frame with initially vertical columns decreases linearly with the inclination damage degree, but the decreasing rate of lateral stiffness of the frame with initially inclined columns becomes larger with the inclination damage degree. The maximum lateral resistance of timber frame with initially inclined columns is larger than that of the frame with initially vertical columns under the same inclination damage degree. The decreasing rate of the maximum lateral resistance of timber frame with initially inclined columns is 5.86% larger than that of the frame with initially vertical columns.