A 40-second test in Japan on the world’s largest shake table demonstrated for the first time that wood-framed mid-rise buildings can be built to withstand major earthquakes, say researchers. The simulation of a magnitude-7.5 quake on a six-story residential building caps a $1.4-million research project that is elevating performance-based seismic design of wood frames. The work is expected to result in new standards for mid-rise wood buildings, which rarely are allowed in quake zones.

During the July 14 test, the building, 40 ft x 60 ft in plan, performed “exactly as it should have,” with almost no damage, says John van de Lindt, principal investigator for NEESWood, which is a project of the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.