Comparison of Chilean and US Seismic Design Provisions for Timber Structures

The seismic design provisions for timber structures in the United States have advanced significantly in recent years. Significant attention has been given to the proper design and detailing required for acceptable ductility and toughness for surviving the lateral loads experienced during an earthquake. The process of developing a design philosophy for light-frame construction has also begun under the auspices of the Building Seismic Safety Council (2008), which will describe in detail the preferred structural mechanism and the necessary detailing requirements to insure this performance. The Chilean timber design code is currently in the process of being revised in an effort to move the timber design code to one of the leading design codes in the world. Also, a draft of a building code update has been written by consultants at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). The Chilean forest industries and timber engineering experts will now make the decisions on how to fill the format with the technical provisions that are appropriate for Chilean societal objectives. A parallel effort to update the timber design standard is also required. As part of this process, an initial evaluatio