Chile Studies CLT Made From Domestic Pine in Seismic Tests

Chile, where concrete still dominates construction, is launching a new research project to test whether CLT made from locally grown radiata pine can rival steel and concrete in earthquake-resistant high-rise construction, Wood Central reported (9-4-25).

The initiative is part of the Fondecyt Regular project, led by Dr. Erick Saavedra of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile’s Department of Civil Engineering and supported by the VRIIC’s Scientific and Technological Research Directorate. The project aims to establish the scientific foundation for tall timber construction in one of the world’s most seismically active regions.

“The Chilean radiata pine we’re using in this study possesses a complex microstructure, complete with porosity, moisture, and other unique material properties,” Saavedra said. “From a computational modelling perspective, this is a major challenge; we need to fully capture that microstructural richness to precisely anticipate its seismic behavior.”

CLT is already reshaping skylines in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Saavedra said Chile’s most common forest species could do the same at home. “Validating its use in high-rise buildings holds potential for a significant positive impact on the construction industry and society alike, leading to more efficient, ecological, and Chile-specific building systems,” he said.

The project will combine high-fidelity multiscale computational models with vibrating table experiments to simulate extreme seismic conditions on hybrid timber-and-concrete structures. “These tests will be unique in Chile,” Saavedra said. “They’ll allow us to build and test large, multi-story structures, ultimately reproducing earthquake effects on these buildings. This will be a major advance for structural engineering in the country.”

The first phase will focus on two areas: experimental studies of structural connectors in wood-to-wood and wood-to-concrete joints, and the development of computational models to capture wood’s small-scale behavior, factoring in its internal structure, porosity, and moisture content. As the research progresses, modelling will expand to beams, columns, walls, and slabs, with results validated against real-world vibration tests.