Innovative mass timber panels, known as composite laminated panels (CLP), have been developed using lumber and laminated strand lumber (LSL) laminates. In this study, strain distributions of various 5-layer CLP and cross-laminated timber (CLT) were investigated by experimental and two modelling methods. Seven (7) different panel types were tested in third-point bending and short-span shear tests. During the tests, the digital imaging correlation (DIC) technique was used to measure the normal and shear strain in areas of interest. Evaluated component properties were used to determine strain distributions based on the shear analogy method and finite element (FE) modelling. The calculated theoretical strain distributions were compared with the DIC test results to evaluate the validity of strain distributions predicted by the analytical model (shear analogy) and numerical model (FE analysis). In addition, the influence of the test setup on the shear strain distribution was investigated. Results showed that the DIC strain distributions agreed well with the ones calculated by the shear analogy method and FE analysis. Both theoretical methods agree well with the test results in terms of strain distribution shape and magnitude. While the shear analogy method shows limitations when it comes to local strain close to the supports or gaps, the FE analysis reflects these strain shifts well. The findings support that the shear analogy is generally applicable for the stress and strain determination of CLP and CLT for structural design, while an FE analysis can be beneficial when it comes to the evaluation of localized stresses and strains. Due to the influence of compression at a support, the shear strain distribution near the support location is not symmetric. This is confirmed by the FE method.
An innovative multi-layer (3 and 5) composite laminated panel (CLP) with various layups were developed using sawn lumber and structural composite lumber (SCL) to address the rolling shear and gap issues of cross laminated timber (CLT). The bending properties including apparent and effective bending stiffness, shear stiffness, moment capacities and failure modes of CLPs were evaluated by a combination of modal tests and third-point bending tests of beam specimens cut from the panels. The static bending test results showed that the apparent bending stiffness values of 3-layer and 5-layer CLPs were up to 20% and 43% higher than the corresponding values of 3-layer and 5-layer generic CLT, respectively. The bending moment capacity values of 3-layer and 5-layer CLPs were up to 37% and 87% higher than the corresponding values of 3-layer and 5-layer generic CLT, respectively. The use of SCL in transverse layers eliminated the potential rolling shear failure in CLT and increased the stiffness properties. The apparent and effective bending stiffness predicted by shear analogy method had a good agreement with corresponding values measured by bending tests and/or modal tests. The prediction of bending moment capacity using shear analogy method cannot be validated due to the rolling shear failure and tension failure modes observed in certain groups.
Properties of CLT panels are influenced by the properties of their layers and the layer properties are in turn influenced by the structural characteristics of the laminate material. In order to realize the mechanical property potential of CLT panels it is necessary to understand the effects of laminate properties on the performance of the final product. This paper presents the approach and outcomes of an on-going study dealing with the evaluation of material and structural characteristics of laminates and their effects on overall characteristics of CLT using modal testing. Characteristics of “homogenised” layers and CLT panels were evaluated using modal and static testing. The suitability of test methods was established for single-layer panels and CLT panels. Relationships between overall single-layer properties and laminate characteristics were established. Differences in CLT properties calculated by different calculation models were discussed.
As an emerging building solution, cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors have been increasingly used in mass timber construction. The current vibration design of CLT floors is conservative due to the assumption of simple support conditions in the floor-to-wall connections. It is noted that end fixity occurs as a result of clamping action at the ends, arising from the gravity load applied by the structure above the floor and by the mechanical fasteners. In this paper, the semi-rigid floor-to-wall connections are treated as elastically restrained edges against rotations to account for the effect of partial constraint. A rotational end-fixity factor was first defined to reflect the relative bending stiffness between CLT floors and elastic restraints at the edges. Then, for the design of vibration serviceability of CLT floors as per the Canadian Standard for Engineering Design in Wood (CSA O86), restraint coefficients were defined and their analytical expressions were derived for natural frequencies and the mid-span deflection under a concentrated load, respectively. In particular, a simplified formula of the restraint coefficient for the fundamental frequency was developed to assist engineers in practical design. At last, by comparing with reported experimental data, the proposed design formula showed excellent agreement with test results. In the end, the proposed end fixity factor with their corresponding restraint coefficients is recommended as an effective mechanics-based approach to account for the effect of end support conditions of CLT floors.
Cross laminated timber (CLT) has the potential to play a major role in timber construction as floor and wall systems. In order to meet specific design needs and to make the use of CLT more effective, property evaluation of individual CLT panels is desirable. Static tests are time-consuming and therefore costly, and for massive products such as CLT practically impossible to implement. Modal testing offers a fast and more practical tool for the property evaluation of CLT and timber panels in general. This paper presents a comparison of different boundary conditions in modal testing in terms of accuracy, calculation effort and practicality. Single-layer timber panels as well as scaled CLT panels were fabricated. Three elastic properties of the panels were evaluated using modal testing methods with different boundary conditions (BCs). The results were compared with results from static test.
In-plane shear and planar shear due to out-of-plane bending are important properties for the design of CLT-type floor systems. Properties of CLT-type panels are influenced by the orientation of the layer’s major stiffness directions and the properties of their layers. The layers are influenced by their characteristics, laminate aspect ratio, growth ring orientation and edge-gluing. In order to utilize the mechanical potential of CLT-type panels, it is necessary to understand the effects of layer and laminate properties on CLT performance. CLT and CLT-hybrid panels were tested in planar and in-plane shear tests. The shear properties were evaluated using static and modal test procedures, the accuracy of non-destructive test methods was evaluated. Relationships between specimen properties and the characteristics of laminates and layers, such as aspect ratio, growth ring orientation and edge-gluing, were established.
The objective of this research is to characterize of load-deformation responses of tested connections(stiffness, strength, ductility, energy dissipation, failure modes) by testing large STS connections with steel side plates under monotonic and cyclic loads.
