Concrete core to take lateral load for timber floor?

[fourpm]

Hi, I have this 7 storey building, the floor is gonna be timber according to builder's preference. The vertical structure will be concrete lift core with steel columns (no bracing can be used between columns). So my question is, can we reply the concrete core to take the lateral load like how we do for concrete slab treating timber floor as a diaphragm? The core is located at one side of the building. Thank you.

 

[GeorgeTheCivilEngineer]

Timber floors can provide diaphragm action with a structural plywood with adequate fixings, but it'd be a bit gutsy with a 7 storey building with 1 core at the corner...! Hard to QA/future proof/fire proof and there are also temporary stability issues with using a timber diaphragm as it'll only be effective relatively late in the build.

The concrete core can be used for stability if designed for it.

 

[structSU10]

It certainly can be done as a shear wall core but as stated before you will likely need one on each end of the building at least due to the flexible diaphragm, and may need more depending on the size of the building. Your biggest limit may well be the wood diaphragms spanning capability more than the core walls themselves.

 

[phamENG]

The eccentricity of the core will be your biggest hurdle, as others have mentioned. I'm not sure about codes in Australia, but the NDS and the Seismic and Wind Provisions in the US outline limitations for cantilevered wood diaphragms.

 

[KootK]

In this context, dose "timber" mean:

1) stick framing & plywood or;

2) mass timber elements like CLT?

If it's the later, you might have a little more leeway with rigid diaphragm etc.

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