Numerical Modeling of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Shear Wall Structures: Review and Assessment

Recent revisions to the International Building Code (IBC 2021) have allowed high-rise mass timber shear wall structures up to 18 stories and 270 feet, reflecting the growing popularity and wide recognition of the advantages of mass timber construction. However, research on high-rise mass timber lateral force resisting systems (LFRSs) has heavily relied on experimental studies. Numerical modeling techniques for mass timber shear walls remain limited in terms of generality and applicability, which significantly hinders the further development of design and analysis methods for high-rise mass timber structures in medium-to-high seismic regions. In this paper, the strategies and characteristics of different numerical models of cross-laminated timber (CLT) shear walls are systematically reviewed and discussed. To assess the applicability of different models, a basic panelized CLT shear wall is selected as a benchmark for evaluating and comparing different modeling approaches in terms of their global hysteretic response, deformation characteristics, and computational efficiency. Recommendations are provided for the selection of numerical modeling approaches for various design and analysis scenarios. Future research needs in the nonlinear numerical simulation of CLT shear wall structures are identified and discussed.