Project contact is Arijit Sinha at Oregon State University (United States)
Summary
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance in tall building applications in the US. However, there are knowledge gaps concerning long-term performance, particularly effects due to moisture intrusion and biological decay in relation to connection systems. In a risk-averse industry, this knowledge gap impedes acceptance of CLT. The overall goal of the project is to characterize the effects of moisture accumulation in mass timber buildings on properties of building components and connections. The project will assess CLT connectors using small-scale assemblies, then use these data to develop predictive models that will be compared with full-scale tests. Connection assemblies will be constructed with two wood species and exposed to five moisture/biological regimes. Moisture behavior in the assemblies will be characterized using a combination of non-destructive tools, such as ultrasonic, wave propagation, CAT-Scan, and infrared imaging. The data generated from cyclic loading tests will be used to calibrate the SAWS connection model. This will provide a novel way to estimate the effects of moisture and biological degradation on connections. A deliverable for this project is a design guideline for engineers to account for the effects of moisture intrusion and subsequent fungal decay on panel and connection properties.