Project contact is Jean Proulx at Université de Sherbrooke
Summary
This project will involve the modeling of typical multistage buildings and non-linear dynamic analyzes for various seismic hazards (Montreal, Quebec, Charlevoix). The models will be developed using OpenSees, and validated with commercial software (SAFI, SAP2000). The temporal responses of typical buildings, subject to earthquakes generated for the region, will be calculated for different parameters (number of floors, bays, types of SRFS). Pushover type analyzes will also be carried out (rigid frame systems or shear walls). Sectional ductility demands will be evaluated for different types of wood sections and assemblies. These ductility values will be used to target the best wood seismic resistance systems, depending on the type of construction.
Project contact is Christian Dagenais at Université Laval
Summary
The National Building Code of Canada (NBCC, NRC 2015) proposes equations to limit acceleration at the top of a tall building. These equations were developed and validated on several buildings designed between 1975 and 2000. The buildings built during these years are made of concrete or steel. It is therefore not certain that the NBCC equations can be applied for tall wooden buildings; wood being a lighter material than concrete and steel. In this project, the PhD candidate will study the impact of lateral load resistance systems and fastening systems used in timber framing on natural frequency and damping as well as its response due to wind loads. The influence of non-structural elements will also be studied. Two high-rise wooden buildings (Origine, 13 floors in Quebec City and Arbora, 8 floors in Montreal) are currently being instrumented to obtain information on the dynamic behavior of the structure. The measurements taken on these two buildings will be used, among other things, to validate theoretical models developed in the context of the doctorate.
Project contact is Jasmine Wang at the National Research Council Canada
Summary
Currently, only light frame wood-based shearwall and braced and moment-resisting frames are given in the NBC 2015 as acceptable solutions, with the height limit for these SFRSs in high seismic zones being 20 m (6 storeys). There is no acceptable solution for using Timber SFRS in buildings more than 20 m high in high seismic zones. The Tall Wood building projects in Canada have been following the “Alternative Solution” path with supporting test data and analysis that could demonstrate equivalent or better performance than building and fire code or local condition requirements, and were approved on a case-by-case basis by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The Tall Wood projects have been and will be faced with different level of difficulties and challenges depending on the familiarity of AHJ with tall wood construction. Furthermore, there are no consistent procedure and performance criteria to analyze and evaluate the Timber SFRS in tall mass timber buildings that could be referenced by the AHJ.
This project is to undertake the work related to:
Phase I: development of a Technical Guide with a procedure for evaluation of the seismic performance of Timber SFRS in tall mass timber buildings.
Phase II: evaluation of an example solution of Mass Timber SFRS in accordance with the developed Technical Guide as a “Demo” project.
Project contact is Jean Proulx at Université de Sherbrooke
Summary
While glued-in rods meet a need for refined architectural design, do they respond to a seismic architectural design? Can they prevent destructive damage and ensure recovery efforts given that this system has singular anchor points? Do the braces and diaphragms have the same behavior as in traditional connector systems? Based on the work of Verdet (2016), modeling can identify the a priori behavior followed by a validation test on seismic table.
Project contact is Étienne Marceau at Université Laval
Summary
The objective of this project is to identify the risk factors taken into account in the pricing of an insurance contract for a construction site. This project aims to synthesize the quantitative approaches used in practice and presented in academic research for the pricing of home insurance and commercial insurance. Then, we aim to identify the preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of different perils in the insurance of a construction site in wood or other.
Project contact is André Potvin at Université Laval
Summary
The biomimetic approach in architecture explores the genius of organic natural forms resulting from a long process of environmental adaptation. These forms often have a high compactness and an optimal material / volume ratio in line with the importance of reducing the material in the building to limit its environmental impact in terms of energy and resources. What are the natural forms and processes of growth of the form most appropriate to the physical properties of wood? What design process promotes the integration of a biomimetic approach from the earliest stages of design? Based on a review of the main achievements claiming this approach, this project will develop a taxonomy of the different biomimetic typologies and identify the most promising in the context of a wood realization. A digital manufacturing process will be developed to reflect the complexity of natural shapes and flows in an organic architecture that optimizes environmental performance and aesthetics.
Project contact is Y.H. Chui at the University of Alberta
Summary
The overall objective of the proposed project is to develop technical information that supports the use of wood I-joists with sawn lumber flanges in mid-rise building construction in western Canada where the design seismic load is relatively high.
Project contact is Y.H. Chui at the University of Alberta
Summary
The objective of this research is to develop efficient panel-to-panel connection details, and optimum floor configuration, including rigging details, for handling in the factory and at the construction site. Computer modelling will be conducted to develop preliminary recommendations on panel-to-panel connection details and optimum floor panel configuration. These recommendations will then be validated by a testing program in the laboratory.
Project contact is Y.H. Chui at the University of Alberta
Summary
Wood shear wall systems with insulated sheathing are commonly implemented to meet a higher standard of building energy efficiency. Adding a layer of continuous thermal insulation exterior to the cavity insulation, insulated sheathing, to reduce thermal bridging is getting more popular in practice. The impact of the intermediated insulation on racking performance of shear walls has recently been investigated by experimental studies. The test data provides better understanding on the influence of various construction configurations. Nevertheless, there is a need to provide an alternative approach which enables engineers to calculate the design capacities of shear walls with insulated sheathing. In this project, the available analytical models and approaches for determining shear resistances of shear walls are reviewed and compared. A new modified analytical model will be developed based on comparisons and the test results.
Project contact is Pierre Blanchet at Université Laval
Summary
The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) models is not yet standardized. This situation limits the scope of the tool and this is particularly the case for systems not defined in the libraries of major BIM software. This results in a loss of productivity because each stakeholder will redefine materials and/or systems to a level of information corresponding to his own needs. This project aims, with the help of a research professional, to develop a BIM library that can contain the main information related to materials and systems to fully cover the needs of all users of the BIM model. This library will be made available to the public and will facilitate the use of wood systems by stakeholders.
Project contact is Frank Lam at the University of British Columbia
Summary
A continuous CLT floor/roof system that has two way bending action across multiple CLT panels will create open floor space with long spans in both major and minor directions, making mass timber construction more competitive and cost-effective. A design guide on CLT two way floor/roof system, incorporating the results from the two phases of study, will be developed at the end.
Project contact is Luca Sorelli at Université Laval
Summary
Hybrid wood-concrete structures are emerging in the multi-storey wood building market, as they provide effective solutions in terms of lightness, rigidity, vibration and fire resistance (Yeoh et al., 2010, Dagenais et al., 2016). This project aims to reduce the cost of these hybrid floors by reducing the time of construction by prefabrication technology with emphasis on use. In addition, the goal is to explore the use of Ultra High Performance Fiber Composite Concrete (UHPC) to reduce the thickness of the wood slab, and also the use of ductile connections to increase the reliability of the floor (Habel and Gauvreau). 2008, Zhang and Gauvreau 2014, Auclair-Cuerrier et al 2016a). Finally, the concrete slab improves the diaphragm behavior of the floor to seismic actions.
Project contact is Sylvain Ménard at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Summary
To ensure the acoustic performance of wood constructions, the research group at the Sustainable Building Institute at Napier University has established a series of proven solutions. The advantage of this approach is to provide designers with solutions that have been technically validated, thus allowing them to overcome the burden of proposing to the manufacturer an acoustic solution. The tools to develop this concept will involve an understanding of the propagation of impact and airborne noises in the main CLT building design typologies, validating the main solutions through laboratory testing and providing proven solutions. Many NRC (National Research Council of Canada) trials could have been avoided. Conducting tests is expensive, and it would be interesting to link the test results to the modeling results.
Project contact is Jean-François Lalonde at Université Laval
Summary
Mobile digital tools (tablets and mobile phones) are ubiquitous in our lives. The potential of the cameras of these tools is under-exploited if we consider the geo-spatial information that they can provide to the information management systems (BIM) via cloud platforms for example. The images captured by these cameras can be combined with information from other sensors (gyroscope, accelerometers, etc.) and thus aligned with a BIM model. Many of these technologies are commonly used for robotic localization. The project would aim to assess whether current technologies could be used to track construction progress and identify non-conformities. The project would also determine the level of precision that can be achieved.
Project contact is Sylvain Ménard at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Summary
Assemblies with glued-in rods allow architectural freedom. They are in fact invisible since they are found in the mass of the structural element. Some work has begun to document this type of assembly by considering static tests in single-sided traction and single-sided creep tests (Verdet, 2016). In order to continue this effort to specify the limits of this type of assembly, it is proposed to consider the lateral forces for assemblies with single and multiple rod connections. This project will therefore aim to document the ability of these assemblies to carry lateral loads.
Project contact is Louis Gosselin at Université Laval
Summary
The volume occupied by all components between the ceiling of a floor and the floor of the upper floor (slab, ventilation duct, plumbing, etc.) is of great importance and it is best to minimize its thickness. This project aims to develop a multi-objective optimization strategy to design this sandwich type assembly according to various structural, acoustic, thermal and mass transfer criteria (Alev and Kalamees, 2017), while minimizing its volume, its size and its cost. and this, according to a given context. A case study will be conducted to assess the degree of optimality of the solutions chosen. Multidisciplinary tools facilitating the optimal design of this system will be proposed.
Project contact is Luca Sorelli at Université Laval
Summary
To minimize the built-in energy of the floor, we need to replace the current system with lighter solutions that retain the key features for robustness and maintenance, and are cost-effective and easy to build (Spadea et al., 2015). This project aims to explore innovative flooring solutions that make up a light wood load-bearing structure reinforced underneath by naturally occurring polymeric fibers (FRP) (Bencardino and Condello 2016), which work well in tension, and above an Ultra-Thin Ultra High Performance Concrete Slab (UHPC) that works exceptionally well in compression. Considering the application of very large floors in multi-storey buildings, the following key questions will be addressed: 1) what form should such a system have, 2) how will this be analyzed, and what mode of failure will be desirable? (3) what practical limitations would be imposed by constructability, (4) what would be the gain on economic cost and environmental impact from a life cycle analysis point of view, and (5) is possible to use biosourced epoxy for connections. The methodology consists of: (i) systems analysis and shape optimization using finite element numerical techniques, (ii) connection shear tests, and (iii) proof of concept on a beam prototype.
Project contact is Jean-François Lalonde at Université Laval
Summary
In the development of an architectural concept, the perception of the client is a key element for acceptability. Wood often becomes a dominant architectural element. While decision-making on the choice of materials is often subject to budgetary considerations, it appears that the added value of wood in the building’s design, even on the basis of preliminary sketches and models (physical or visual), is not adequately delivered. The project proposes to explore augmented reality technology as a technique allowing greater acceptability of wood material during the initial design phases. The architectural component will explore the creative potential and quantify public perception when subject to the use of wood material in augmented reality.
Project contact is Conrad Boton at ETS (École de technologie supérieure)
Summary
The objective is to explore the ability of new approaches such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Integrated Design Process (IPD) to: provide a more favorable design framework for improvement fire safety in high-rise construction projects in solid wood; make the best constructive choices through a constructability study assisted by digital tools of virtual construction; perform more realistic simulations of fire behaviour to better analyze risks and implement more effective management strategies.
Project contact is Christian Dagenais at Université Laval
Summary
The use of materials in a building is traditionally determined from its combustibility (via ULC S114 or ULC S135) and by its flame propagation index (via ULC S102). The ULC S102 Flame Spread Test, developed in 1943, has historically reduced risk through its method of classifying materials. However, this test does not provide quantitative information on the combustion properties of materials, such as heat flow. The latter is one of the most important variables in the development of a fire. Thus, a new approach would be preferable in order to review the classification of materials according to ULC S102 and ULC S135 (cone calorimeter). The objective of this project is to develop a new approach to classifying materials based on cone calorimeter test results. These results can subsequently be used in numerical modeling as part of a fire safety engineering design. A significant amount of cone calorimeter (ULC S135) testing of materials currently evaluated according to ULC S102 will be required.
