Connection Systems for Modular Cross-Laminated Timber Structures: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Typologies, Seismic Performance, and Circularity Trade-Offs
Abstract
Abstract Modular cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction offers rapid, low-carbon housing, yet its seismic viability is governed by connection performance. This PRISMA-based systematic review of 50 publications compares the mechanical characterization of twenty connection systems for volumetric CLT across the complete load path, intra-module (InMC), inter-module (IMC) and module-to-foundation (MFC), and sets it against reusability. The evidence separates two families. Adhesive-free, timber-only interlocking joints support circularity but dissipate energy through irreversible timber crushing, so their cyclic ductility is limited and non-repeatable, whereas hybrid steel-timber systems and friction dampers concentrate damage in replaceable components and give stable, repeatable hysteresis; together they define a damage-avoidance hierarchy. Full-scale validation remains scarce, durability unquantified, and the available data biased toward moderate-seismicity codes. The way forward is strong fastener-weak connector design, with stiffness-compatibility guidelines that treat InMC, IMC and MFC as one system.
Reference
Cristian Reyes; Diego Valdivieso; Nelson Maureira-Carsalade; Solange Loyer; Jorge Catalán; Ángel Roco-Videla. (2026). Connection Systems for Modular Cross-Laminated Timber Structures: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Typologies, Seismic Performance, and Circularity Trade-Offs. Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-7825/e9227
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