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Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures

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Special Issue Information
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Published Papers

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2024 | Viewed by 4521

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Almudena Majano Majano

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Guest Editor

Department of Building Structures and Physics, School of Architecture, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: gridshells; timber structures; wood characterization; timber connections; fracture mechanics; structural analysis and design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Antonio José Lara Bocanegra

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Guest Editor

Department of Building Structures and Physics, School of Architecture, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: timber structures; engineered timber products; hardwood; structural analysis and design; multi-storey timber buildings; timber gridshells

Prof. Dr. Francisco Arriaga

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Guest Editor

Department of Forestry and Environmental Engineering and Management, MONTES (School of Forest Engineering and Natural Resources), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: structural use of timber; nondestructive testing in timber; structural assessment of timber structures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The need for a paradigm shift in the way we design, build, and live in our buildings and cities in order to drastically reduce their carbon footprint and resource consumption is now an unavoidable requirement. In this sense, timber has significant environmental advantages over other structural materials due to its natural and renewable origin, leading to a new resurgence of this material. The continuous development of structural adhesives and lamination techniques, the emergence of new engineered wood products and innovative connection systems, as well as the evolution of design, structural analysis and digital fabrication tools, are allowing the limits of application of wood in all types of structures to be extended. At the same time, the need to intervene on an important and rich historical heritage, built centuries ago with timber structures, has also led to the development of new techniques for assessment, diagnosis, and repair. This fascinating scenario offers a wide field of current research on timber structures.

This Special Issue will publish high-quality, original research papers covering some of the most recent developments in the field of engineered wood products and timber structures. Review articles are also of great interest. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Material and engineered wood products;
Hardwood;
Hybrid and composite elements;
Connections;
Components and systems;
Multi-storey timber buildings, long-span structures and bridges;
Structural design, modelling and analysis;
Parametric design and digital fabrication;
Innovative techniques for monitoring, assessment, and interventions on existing structures.

Dr. Almudena Majano Majano
Dr. Antonio José Lara Bocanegra
Prof. Dr. Francisco Arriaga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

solid wood
glulam
CLT
LVL
TCC
connections
structural analysis
structural design
timber buildings
NDT

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Out-of-Plane Bending Stiffness Properties in Hybrid Species Diagonal-Cross-Laminated Timber Panels

by Shaghayegh Kurzinski and Paul L. Crovella

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2718; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072718 - 24 Mar 2024

Viewed by 425

Abstract

Since the introduction of Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) in Austria in the early 1990s, the adoption of this 90°-crosswise-laminated product has seen exponential growth worldwide. Compared to traditional laminated timber products (e.g., glulam), CLT provides improved dimensional stability but with reduced out-of-plane bending stiffness. To improve the bending stiffness, while maintaining relative dimensional stability, a modified orientation of the inner layers in a diagonal direction can be used. This novel product is Diagonal-Cross-laminated Timber (DCLT), a composite timber product, consisting of inner layers which are rotated at different angle-ply orientations between 0 and 90 degrees to the outer layers. To properly model the out-of-plane bending behavior of the DCLT, analytical models and finite element analysis (FEA) were used, and the results were validated by four-point bending tests performed on DCLT panels with angle-ply orientations of 10°, 20°, 40°, 70°, and a conventional CLT 90° panel. The results indicate that DCLT panels with angle-ply cross layers have a structural advantage in out-of-plane bending over traditional CLT (90°) panels. The apparent bending stiffness from DCLT 90° to DCLT ± 10° has an increase of 33%, 24%, and 35%, respectively, regarding the assessed methods of experimental, theoretical, and FEM modeling. Using these panels would allow for increased spans or load-carrying capacity for a given panel span-to-depth ratio. The development of DCLT and its introduction to the industry not only could enable the use of lower-quality timber that would not otherwise satisfy structural requirements for CLT but also could help reduce the fabrication cost of CLT due to utilizing lower amounts of fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures)

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25 pages, 14095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Research on the Splitting Capacity of European Beech Beams Loaded Perpendicular to the Grain by Connections: Influence of Different Geometrical Parameters

by José Luis Gómez-Royuela, Almudena Majano-Majano, Antonio José Lara-Bocanegra, José Xavier and Marcelo F. S. F. de Moura

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020900 - 20 Jan 2024

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Abstract

In the present work, single- and double-dowel joints following different geometric configurations are experimentally and numerically investigated to derive the splitting behaviour of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.), one of the most widespread hardwood species in Europe for structural purposes. The influence of the spacing between dowels, their distance to the supports, and the slenderness of the beams is analysed. The correlation of the experimental failure loads with those predicted numerically by cohesive zone finite element-based models using the fracture properties of the species is discussed. The experimental results are also compared with those obtained from the normative expression included in Eurocode 5 and two other design models reported in the literature. The splitting failure loads predicted by both the analytical and numerical models were found to be conservative, the latter being closer to the experimental values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures)

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14 pages, 4622 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Carbon and Basalt Fibers with Adhesives to Improve Physical and Mechanical Properties of Laminated Veneer Lumber

by Mario Núñez-Decap, Bárbara Sandoval-Valderrama, Camila Opazo-Carlsson, Boris Moya-Rojas, Marcela Vidal-Vega and Alexander Opazo-Vega

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10032; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810032 - 06 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 811

Abstract

Climate change is one of the main factors influencing the research of environmentally friendly materials. This is why the use of engineering fibers as a reinforcement technique in wood, in order to increase its mechanical properties, has recently been investigated. This research presents the results obtained from the use of carbon and basalt fiber fabrics as a reinforcement for microlaminated Radiata Pine wood panels at a laboratory scale using the adhesives epoxy resin and polyvinyl acetate. Tests were carried out in comparison to the control boards, relating the physical properties obtained in terms of thickness swelling by 48 h-water immersion with a decrease of 19% for the polyvinyl acetate and carbon fiber matrix reinforcement, about the mechanical properties evaluated, a better performance was obtained for the epoxy resin and carbon fiber matrix reinforcement and in terms of flexural stiffness and strength (in flatwise), tensile strength and Janka hardness, with an increment of 31%, 38%, 56% and 41%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures)

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16 pages, 2849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Primary Spruce Lamella Aging on the Bending Characteristics of Glulam Beams

by Ladislav Reinprecht, Dávid Ciglian, Ján Iždinský and Ján Sedliačik

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(24), 12872; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122412872 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1071

Abstract

Glued laminated (glulam) beams are used in the roofs, ceilings and walls of buildings as well as in bridges and towers. At present, with the limitation of tree harvesting, the production of glulam beams from recycled wood sources is implemented with the proviso that their mechanical properties and resistance to pests, fire and weathering will not be aggravated. This work deals with the primary effect of aging Norway spruce wood (Picea abies Karst. L.) lamellas on the moduli of rupture (MOR) and elasticity (MOE) in bending of three-layer glulam beams composed of sound and aged lamellas and polyurethane (PUR) glue. Three methods of lamella aging were used: (A) natural, lasting 60 years in the form of roof trusses with a greater or lesser degree of bio-attack by woodworm (Anobium punctatum De Geer); (B) artificial, caused by increased temperatures from 160 to 220 °C for 4 h; (C) artificial, caused by 2% water solutions of inorganic preservatives, namely, CuSO₄ × 5H₂O, ZnCl₂, H₃BO₃ or (NH₄)₂SO₄, for 28 days. The lowest MOR values were determined for glulam beams in which all three lamellas or two surface lamellas had a greater degree of bio-attack (60.5 MPa, a decrease of 25.9%) or were exposed to primary aging at 220 °C (62.6 MPa, a decrease of 23.3%). On the contrary, the exposure of lamellas to 160 or 180 °C did not significantly influence the MOR of beams (76.0–82.7 MPa, an average decrease of 1.6%). The MOE of glulam beams ranged from 7540 to 10,432 MPa without an obvious influence of the method of lamella aging or their location in the beams. Linear correlations between the MOR or MOE of glulam beams and the shear strength (σ) of glued joints, if both composite types consisted of similarly aged lamellas, were only slightly significant or insignificant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures)

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Review

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38 pages, 3108 KiB

Open AccessReview

Contemporary Strategies for the Structural Design of Multi-Story Modular Timber Buildings: A Comprehensive Review

by Marina Tenório, Rui Ferreira, Victor Belafonte, Filipe Sousa, Cláudio Meireis, Mafalda Fontes, Inês Vale, André Gomes, Rita Alves, Sandra M. Silva, Dinis Leitão, André Fontes, Carlos Maia, Aires Camões and Jorge M. Branco

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3194; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083194 - 10 Apr 2024

Viewed by 765

Abstract

Modular timber construction embodies a pioneering and eco-friendly methodology within the building sector. With the notable progress made in manufacturing technologies and the advent of engineered wood products, timber has evolved into a promising substitute for conventional materials such as concrete, masonry, and steel. Beyond its structural attributes, timber brings environmental advantages, including its inherent capacity for carbon sequestration and a reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional materials. Timber’s lightweight nature, coupled with its versatility and efficiency in factory-based production, accelerates modular construction processes, providing a sustainable solution to the growing demands of the building industry. This work thoroughly explores contemporary modular construction using wood as the primary material. The investigation spans various aspects, from the fundamentals of modularity and the classification of modular timber solutions to considerations of layout design, structural systems, and stability at both the building and module levels. Moreover, inter-module joining techniques, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) integration, and designs for disassembly are scrutinized. The investigation led to the conclusion that timber modular construction, drawing inspiration from the steel modular concept, consistently utilizes a structural approach based on linear members (timber frame, post-and-beam, etc.), incorporating stability configurations and diverse joint techniques. Despite the emphasis on modularization and prefabrication for adaptability, a significant portion of solutions still concentrate on the on-site linear assembly process of those linear members. Regarding modularity trends, the initial prevalence of 2D and 3D systems has given way to a recent surge in the utilization of post-and-beam structures, congruent with the ascending verticality of buildings. In contrast to avant-garde and bold trends, timber structures typically manifest as rectilinear, symmetric plans, characterized by regular and repetitive extrusions, demonstrating a proclivity for centrally located cores. This work aims to offer valuable insights into the current utilization of modular timber construction while identifying pivotal gaps for exploration. The delineation of these unexplored areas seeks to enable the advancement of modular timber projects and systems, fully leveraging the benefits provided by prefabrication and modularity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Engineered Wood Products and Timber Structures)

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