Model building codes in the United States limit timber construction to six stories, due to concerns over fire safety and structural performance. With new timber technologies, tall timber buildings are now being planned for construction. The process for building approval for a building constructed above the code height limits with a timber load-bearing structure, is by an alternative engineering means. Engineering solutions are required to be developed to document and prove equivalent performance to a code compliant structure, where approval is based on substantive consultation and documentation. Architects in the US are also pushing the boundaries and requesting load-bearing timber be exposed and not fully encapsulated in fire rated gypsum drywall. This provides an opportunity for the application of recent fire research on exposed timber to be applied, and existing methods of analyzing the impact of fire on engineered timber structures to be developed further. This paper provides an overview of the performance based fire safety engineering required for building approval and also describes the engineering methodologies that can be utilized to address specific exposed load-bearing timber issues; concealed connections for glulam beams; and the methodology to address areas of exposed timber.
Timber-Concrete Composite (TCC) systems have been employed as an efficient solution in medium span structural applications; their use remains largely confined to European countries. TCC systems are generally comprised of a timber and concrete element with a shear connection between. A large number of precedents for T-beam configurations exist; however, the growing availability of flat plate engineered wood products (EWPs) in North America has offered designers greater versatility in terms of floor plans and architectural expression in modern timber and hybrid structures. The opportunity exists to enhance the strength, stiffness, fire, and vibration performance of floors using these products by introducing a concrete topping, connected to the timber to form a composite. A research program at the University of British Columbia Vancouver investigates the performance of five different connector types (a post-installed screw system, cast-in screws, glued-in steel mesh, adhesive bonded, and mechanical interlocking) in three different EWPs (Cross-Laminated-Timber, Laminated-Veneer-Lumber, and Laminated-Strand-Lumber). Over 200 mid-scale push-out tests were performed in the first stage of experimental work to evaluate the connector performance and to optimize the design of subsequent vibration and bending testing of full-scale specimens, including specimens subjected to long-term loading.
