Reports on research performed at the University of Wyoming related to pegs and mortise & tenon joinery are available for download from the Members Only page. A new report on the response of full-scale frames to lateral loads will be released soon (maybe this summer). In the mean time, take a look at Timber Framing issues 62 (Dec 2001) and 63 (March 2002) for short articles on one- and two-story frame behavior. Issue #63 also contains a discussion (in the Q&A section) on the suitability of timber frames for seismicly active areas. Basically, the strength of a traditional timber frame is adequate to resist seismic loads, but you'll probably need a lateral load system, consisting of SIPs or conventional shear walls, in order to satisfy the stiffness requirements.
