The future of Chilean high-rise buildings could be built from earthquake-resistant, home-grown cross-laminated timbers, and not concrete, with researchers using multiscale computational modelling and vibrating tables to test the structural performance of radiata pine in hybrid buildings. As part of the Fondecyt Regular project, led by Dr Erick Saavedra from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH) Department of Civil Engineering, the initiative, supported by the VRIIC’s Scientific and Technological Research Directorate, seeks to develop the scientific foundation for building high-rise structures with solid wood in seismic areas.
Wood Central understands that the new models, explicitly tailored for Chilean radiata pine, can predict building performance during extreme earthquakes, optimise structural design, and generate new strategies to enhance lateral stability and reduce post-seismic displacement: “The Chilean radiata pine we’re using in this study possesses a complex microstructure, complete with porosity, moisture, and other unique material properties,” Dr Saavedra said. “From a computational modelling perspective, this is a major challenge; we need to fully capture that microstructural richness to precisely anticipate its seismic behaviour.”
According to Saavedra, radiata pine, the most common forest species in Chile, is an excellent candidate for sustainable structural solutions given its low weight, high rigidity, and ready availability: “Validating its use in high-rise buildings holds potential for a significant positive impact on the construction industry and society alike, leading to more efficient, ecological, and Chile-specific building systems.”
“(And) unlike traditional materials such as concrete or steel, which have high carbon dioxide emissions from their manufacturing processes, wood offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. It is renewable, sequesters carbon, and demands less energy for its processing. Furthermore, when appropriately designed, wood possesses fire-resistant qualities, as carbonisation occurs at the surface level, thus preserving its internal mechanical properties.”
Multi-storey structures built of cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete.
This project, backed by VRIIC’s Scientific and Technological Research Office, combines two critical methodologies. It proposes developing high-fidelity multiscale computational models to accurately simulate the dynamic behaviour of hybrid wood and concrete structures. Concurrently, it will perform vibrating table experimental tests, replicating extreme seismic conditions on single or multi-story structures constructed from cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete.
“These tests will be unique in Chile,” Dr Saavedra said. “They’ll allow us to build and test large, multi-story structures, ultimately reproducing earthquake effects on these buildings. This will be a major advance for structural engineering in the country.”
Wood Central understands that the first stage of the project will involve two key actions. First, experimental studies will analyse structural connectors in wood-to-wood and wood-to-concrete joints, crucial components for hybrid building performance. And second, researchers will begin developing a multiscale computational model, initially to represent wood’s small-scale behaviour, factoring in its internal structure, porosity, and moisture content.
As the project advances, numerical modelling will expand to cover larger structural scales, including CLT beams, columns, walls, and slabs. These advancements will be complemented by new experimental tests, allowing for direct comparison between simulation results and the actual behaviour of the building systems, followed by vibration tests: “My belief is that the real challenge lies in delivering results that hold practical value and can inform structural design and construction. That is precisely the significant contribution we envision from this project,” Dr Saavedra said.
- To learn more about the project, visit the Universidad de Santiago de Chile website.
