Experimental Investigation of the Seismic Behavior of Traditional Dieh-Dou Timber Roof Frames

This study conducted a series of full-scale shaking table tests to evaluate the seismic responses of the Dieh-Dou type roof frame. Observed damages were primarily concentrated in the Dou and Shu components. The inclusion of purlin supports alters the failure mechanisms, thereby preventing the sliding of the Shu within the Dou and slightly enhancing the horizontal resistance of the roof frame. The results revealed that the fixation state of the roof masses affects the seismic behavior of the structure: sliding of the roof masses, observed under high seismic intensity, isolates inertial forces and mitigates damage, whereas fixed masses result in greater inertial forces, more severe damage, and stiffness degradation. In a real situation, the insufficient fastening of roof tiles may lead to sliding during an earthquake; however, this damage may ultimately mitigate structural damage to the Dieh-Dou frame. Furthermore, the experimental results confirmed that the analytical model can reliably capture the seismic behavior of the roof frame, even when significant damage occurs within a large deformation range. This result validates the applicability of the model for evaluating the seismic performance of Dieh-Dou type structures.