ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF TIMBER FRAME HOUSE AND HUMAN DAMAGE INDUCED BY AN EARTHQUAKE

Abstract

Collapse of timber frame houses during an earthquake was analyzed by the 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) Distinct Element Methods (DEM). A timber frame house with simple structural elements; beams, columns, floors, and a roof, was modeled. Contact parameters were decided based on Hertz theory, and joint parameters were calculated from a typical tenon modeling. Injury to human bodies also was considered. Human bodies modeled as circles (2D) or rectangular parallelepipeds (3D) were placed on its floors. The maximum impact acceleration on the human body during an earthquake was calculated. Injury to humans in houses was assessed by the Chest-G index and Head Injury Criteria (HIC) widely used in automobile engineering.