immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Statik

  • Statics gap in timber construction is closed

    Statics gap in timber construction is closed

    Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology(Empa), the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH) have carried out a comprehensive series of tests in collaboration with the Federal Office for the Environment(FOEN). According to a press release, the aim of these investigations was to close a structural analysis gap in timber construction. Multiple tests and mathematical models were used to gain insights into the horizontal load of timber frame constructions.

    “We are investigating the horizontal bracing of buildings with timber frame walls that contain window openings,” said Nadja Manser, project manager at Empa, in the press release. “Neither in Switzerland nor in other European countries is there currently a regulation on how much horizontal load a timber frame wall can bear if it contains a window opening.”

    In order to obtain this data, the researchers carried out numerous experiments in Empa’s construction hall with two-storey and single-storey walls, each containing two window openings. The horizontal beams were subjected to a load of over 100 kilonewtons.

    The next step is to use the large amount of data obtained to create a computer model that is easy for structural engineers to calculate and that can be used to realise structural calculations for timber frame buildings. Throughout the project, the researchers are working with industry partners such as Swiss Timber Engineers, Holzbau Schweiz and Ancotech AG. One of the aims is to eliminate the need for expensive and labour-intensive steel anchors and the concrete cores that were previously required.

  • Efficiency in timber construction thanks to statics

    Efficiency in timber construction thanks to statics

    Timber frame construction scores highly as a sustainable alternative to concrete. However, there is a problem with structural planning. Walls with windows were previously considered “statistically invisible” due to a lack of reliable data on load-bearing behavior. Planning, use of materials and costs suffered as a result.

    Large-scale tests for greater material and cost efficiency
    In order to close this knowledge gap, Empa, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and ETH Zurich launched a joint research project, supported by the FOEN and industrial partners. In Empa’s construction hall, wooden walls are deliberately subjected to extreme horizontal loads, generating valuable data on the load-bearing capacity of walls with window openings. The aim is to use the horizontal bracing values of such elements reliably in everyday engineering in the future.

    Less concrete, more wood
    The findings are being incorporated into a new, simple computer model. The initial results show that walls with windows also make a significant contribution to bracing. This reduces the need for steel anchors and concrete cores and cuts the amount of material, time and costs involved in timber construction. In the long term, this results in more economical and ecological buildings.

    Cooperation between research and industry
    The focus is on the practical suitability of the new model. In close dialog with industry partners, the complex research model is translated into an applicable solution for planning practice. This benefits planners, investors and residents alike.

    With new test procedures and calculation models for window walls, the research project is taking timber construction a step further towards greater efficiency, resource conservation and innovation.