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Numerical and experimental investigations of cracked light-frame timber walls
Shanghai Maritime University, China.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5595-7617
Karlstad University, Sweden.
Linnaeus University, Faculty of Technology, Department of Building Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5591-1045
Karlstad University, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1638-1023
2024 (English)In: Journal of Building Engineering, E-ISSN 2352-7102, Vol. 96, article id 110507Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study investigates the impact of sheathing panel cracks on the structural performance of light-frame, modular-based timber buildings, focusing on the racking stiffness and strength of the individual timber walls in the modules. Previous research has investigated such walls for decades and lead to practical design methods in the harmonized European design code, Eurocode 5. Such hand calculation methods are effective for simple geometries but for walls with openings or complex forms, a correct prediction of stiffness and strength is considerably harder to achieve and load levels where cracks initiate are almost impossible to predict. The paper presents both experimental and numerical studies to investigate how significant cracking in sheathing panels affects the load-carrying capacity of various light-frame timber walls. Finite element simulations using Abaqus are conducted to model the cracking of sheathing panels with the extended finite element method. Moreover, an orthotropic elasto-plastic connector model is introduced for the nail joints. The results indicate that significant cracking of the sheathing panels influences the stiffness and the load-carrying capacity of the wall elements and that the crack initiation and propagation is strongly affected by factors such as the location of openings, the shape of the sheathing panels and the type and position of sheathing-to-framing connections. The numerical results presented align satisfactory with the experimental data particularly regarding load levels at crack initiation and propagation. Furthermore, a parametric study investigates how cracks, orthotropic connector properties and vertical constraint of bottom rails influence the racking strength of different timber walls.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2024. Vol. 96, article id 110507
Keywords [en]
Light-frame timber wall, FE-simulation, Creack modelling with XFEM, Orthotropic connector model, Experimental verification
National Category
Building Technologies
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Civil engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-128261DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110507ISI: 001301618300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85201895648OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-128261DiVA, id: diva2:1844390
Available from: 2024-03-13 Created: 2024-03-13 Last updated: 2024-09-13Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Parametric FE-modelling of non-linear racking behaviour of light-frame shear walls and modules used for multi-storey timber buildings
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Parametric FE-modelling of non-linear racking behaviour of light-frame shear walls and modules used for multi-storey timber buildings
2024 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Alternative title[sv]
Parametrisk FE-modellering av olinjärt skjuvbeteende hos skiv-regelväggar och moduler för flervåningsbyggande i trä
Abstract [en]

Wood is a sustainable material from nature that has a longstanding traditionas a building material. Compared to other construction materials, such as steeland concrete, the significance of using structural timber and engineered wood products has increased in recent years because they are regarded as a renewable source and require a low carbon footprint and less energy consumption during production. In Scandinavia, the European design standard EN 1995-1-1 (EC5) is extensively used to guide structural engineers in the design of timber structures, while addressing safety and service ability issues. However, this standard relieson multiple simplifications to achieve simple semi empirical hand calculations. In addition to these simplified expressions, engineers and researchers need reliable numerical models to study the racking behaviour of light-frame timber structures with arbitrary geometry under complex loading conditions. Such modelling tools must be computationally effective, easy to use and able to simulate the global structural behaviour as well as the local fastener force distributions and the crack growth in the sheathing panels.The main aim of this doctoral thesis is to develop a numerical model to analyse the complex structural behaviour of prefabricated light-frame timber modules. The model is developed in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS® with the assistance of the parametric Python scripting method. This thesis work also includes development of a graphical user interface in Python for user-friendly inputs, outputs, and visualisation of the numerical results. The simulation tool was used to study two different structural applications, firstly light-frame timber walls and then light-frame timber modules. For these applications, the modelling of the mechanical sheathing-to-framing joints is very important. In the first paper application, oriented and uncoupled elastic spring-based connectors were used to simulate the sheathing-to-framing joints. To define the material parameters for the connector, new Eurocode-based expressions were also presented. To simulate the permanent displacements in the sheathing-to-framing joints a coupled elasto-plastic spring-based connector model was proposed in papers II and III for both isotropic and orthotropic joint properties.To validate the accuracy of the numerical model, full-scale experimental tests were conducted for light-frame timber walls and modules. The validation indicates that by using effective 3D structural elements, the model achieves a satisfying balance between computational efficiency and reasonable accuracy. The numerical results presented for the applications agreed well with experimental results, regarding the global and local displacements and crack growth in the sheathing panels. The simulation results also increased the understanding of local joint behaviour in terms of fastener forces and their directions. The developed model was used to perform numerous parametric studies and thus investigate how different geometries, sheathing panels, connection types orboundary conditions affect the global and local structural behaviour of light-frame timber structures. These studies demonstrate how the parametric modelling can easily be used to analyse how different parameters have influence on these types of structures and significantly reduce the number of experimental tests necessaryto perform.The parametric model has also the potential to be further developed for the structural design of more complex modular-based multi-storey timber buildings. Furthermore, the proposed orthotropic elasto-plastic spring-based connector model can be further calibrated to simulate the performance of dowel-type connections in wood-based materials. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linnaeus University Press, 2024. p. 75
Series
Linnaeus University Dissertations ; 521
National Category
Building Technologies
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Civil engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-128262 (URN)10.15626/LUD.521.2024 (DOI)9789180821438 (ISBN)9789180821445 (ISBN)
Public defence
2024-04-19, N1017, hus N, Växjö, 09:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
Knowledge Foundation, 20230005
Available from: 2024-03-15 Created: 2024-03-13 Last updated: 2025-01-21Bibliographically approved

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Kuai, LeMaharjan, RajanOrmarsson, SigurdurVessby, Johan

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