Simplified calculation model for typical Dou-gong under horizontal load

Dou-gong is important component of ancient timber buildings in China, Japan, and South Korea, etc. It has important decoration and load transferring functions. Due to its complex structure, Dou-gong is difficult to be fully analyzed in large-scale structured. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a reliable and simplified Dou-gong calculation model. In this study, some traditional Chinese timber buildings built in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960–1368 AD) are investigated, and the characteristics of the typical Dou-gong model are obtained. Experimental study and refined finite-element analysis of the typical Dou-gong model is then carried out to study the load transferring mechanism under horizontal load. Then, the load path is extracted from the force-flow perspective to establish a simplified beam element model. The simplified model is then numerically and experimentally verified. The results show that the simplified model has a good consistency with the experimental model, and it is suitable for large-scale structural analysis of ancient timber buildings.