Structural response of masonry infilled timber frames to flood and wind driven rain exposure

In the current changing climate historic timber frame buildings are exposed to ever more severe and frequent extreme weather conditions such as floods and wind driven rainstorms. These structures are especially vulnerable to moisture ingress and subsequent decay. In light of this there is a need to better understand and quantify the impact of this exposure on the mechanical behavior and capacity of such systems. Here an experimental investigation is presented which sets out a novel test method for measuring the impact of cyclic wind driven rain and flood exposure on the lateral stiffness and strength of masonry infilled timber frames. Empirical data presented here indicates losses in elastic stiffness exceeding 75% as a result of exposure, whilst analytical assessment confirms the failure mechanism that describes yielding of the system in weathered and unweathered states. This work has measured the extent of structural decay in direct relation to the meteorological parameters wind speed and precipitation accumulation, giving deeper, understanding of the vulnerability of the structural system of masonry infilled timber framing to these climate phenomena.