Wind-induced dynamic excitation is a governing design action determining size and shape of modern Tall Timber Buildings (TTBs). The wind actions generate dynamic loading, causing discomfort or annoyance for occupants due to the perceived horizontal sway, i.e. a vibration serviceability problem. The DynaTTB project, funded by the ForestValue research program, mixed on-site measurements on timber buildings, for identification of the structural system, with numerical modelling of timber structures. The goal was to identify and quantify the causes of vibration energy dissipation in modern TTBs and provide key elements to finite element models. This paper presents an overview of the project. 

The paper also presents measurements using forced vibration conducted on the seven-storey timber building Eken in Mariestad in Sweden. The main objective is to estimate the building’s dynamic properties from test data. The eigenfrequencies, mode shapes and their scalings are useful to calibrate numerical models. However, the most important outcomes are the estimates of the modal damping values. The test data shows that the modal damping is roughly equal to 2% of the critical viscous ones for the eigenmodes extracted.