This study presentes a new nonparametric structural damage detection algorithm that integrates self-organizing maps with a pattern-recognition neural network to quantify and locate structural damage. In this algorithm, self-organizing maps are used to extract a number of damage indices from the ambient vibration response of the monitored structure. The presented study is unique because it demonstrates the development of a nonparametric vibration-based damage detection algorithm that utilizes self-organizing maps to extract meaningful damage indices from ambient vibration signals in the time domain. The ability of the algorithm to identify damage was demonstrated analytically using a finite-element model of a hot-rolled steel grid structure. The algorithm successfully located the structural damage under several damage cases, including damage resulting from local stiffness loss in members and damage resulting from changes in boundary conditions. A sensitivity study was also conducted to evaluate the effects of noise on the computed damage indices. The algorithm was proved to be successful even when the signals are noise-contaminated.

One of the main tasks in structural health monitoring process is to create reliable algorithms that are capable of translating the measured response into meaningful information reflecting the actual condition of the monitored structure. The authors have recently introduced a novel unsupervised vibration-based damage detection algorithm that utilizes self-organizing maps to quantify structural damage and assess the overall condition of structures. Previously, this algorithm had been tested using the experimental data of Phase II Experimental Benchmark Problem of Structural Health Monitoring, introduced by the IASC (International Association for Structural Control) and ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers). In this paper, the ability of this algorithm to quantify structural damage is tested analytically using an experimentally validated finite element model of a laboratory structure constructed at Qatar University.

The study presented in this paper introduces a new intelligent methodology to mitigate the vibration response of flexible cantilever plates. The use of the piezoelectric sensor/actuator pairs for active control of plates is discussed. An intelligent neural network based controller is designed to control the optimal voltage applied on the piezoelectric patches. The control technique utilizes a neurocontroller along with a Kalman Filter to compute the appropriate actuator command. The neurocontroller is trained based on an algorithm that incorporates a set of emulator neural networks which are also trained to predict the future response of the cantilever plate. Then, the neurocontroller is evaluated by comparing the uncontrolled and controlled responses under several types of dynamic excitations. It is observed that the neurocontroller reduced the vibration response of the flexible cantilever plate significantly; the results demonstrated the success and robustness of the neurocontroller independent of the type and distribution of the excitation force.

Metamaterial inspired structures, or metastructures, are structural members that incorporate periodic or non-periodic inserts. Recently, a new class of metastructures has been introduced which feature chiral lattice inserts. It was found that this type of inserts has frequency bandgaps which can be tuned by altering the geometry of the chiral lattice. Previous studies have shown that inserting non-periodic chiral lattices inside a beam-like structure results in efficient vibration attenuation at low frequencies. In the study presented in this paper, a genetic algorithm based optimization technique is developed to automatically generate chiral lattices which are tuned to suppress vibration in a flexible beam-like structure. Several parameters are incorporated in the optimization process such as the radius of circular nodes and characteristic angle as well as the spacing and distribution of circular inserts. The efficiency of the …

One of the major challenges in civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering is to develop vibration suppression systems with high efficiency and low cost. Recent studies have shown that high damping performance at broadband frequencies can be achieved by incorporating periodic inserts with tunable dynamic properties as internal resonators in structural systems. Structures featuring these kinds of inserts are referred to as metamaterials inspired structures or metastructures. Chiral lattice inserts exhibit unique characteristics such as frequency bandgaps which can be tuned by varying the parameters that define the lattice topology. Recent analytical and experimental investigations have shown that broadband vibration attenuation can be achieved by including chiral lattices as internal resonators in beam-like structures. However, these studies have suggested that the performance of chiral lattice inserts can be maximized by utilizing an efficient optimization technique to obtain the optimal topology of the inserted lattice. In this study, an automated optimization procedure based on a genetic algorithm is applied to obtain the optimal set of parameters that will result in chiral lattice inserts tuned properly to reduce the global vibration levels of a finite-sized beam. Genetic algorithms are considered in this study due to their capability of dealing with complex and insufficiently understood optimization problems. In the optimization process, the basic parameters that govern the geometry of periodic chiral lattices including the number of circular nodes, the thickness of the ligaments, and the characteristic angle are considered. Additionally, a new set of parameters is introduced to enable the optimization process to explore non-periodic chiral designs. Numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the optimization process.

Structural damage detection has been an interdisciplinary area of interest for various engineering fields. While the available damage detection methods have been in the process of adapting machine learning concepts, most machine learning based methods extract “hand-crafted” features which are fixed and manually selected in advance. Their performance varies significantly among various patterns of data depending on the particular structure under analysis. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), on the other hand, can fuse and simultaneously optimize two major sets of an assessment task (feature extraction and classification) into a single learning block during the training phase. This ability not only provides an improved classification performance but also yields a superior computational efficiency. 1D CNNs have recently achieved state-of-the-art performance in vibration-based structural damage detection; however, it has been reported that the training of the CNNs requires significant amount of measurements especially in large structures. In order to overcome this limitation, this paper presents an enhanced CNN-based approach that requires only two measurement sets regardless of the size of the structure. This approach is verified using the experimental data of the Phase II benchmark problem of structural health monitoring which had been introduced by IASC-ASCE Structural Health Monitoring Task Group. As a result, it is shown that the enhanced CNN-based approach successfully estimated the actual amount of damage for the nine damage scenarios of the benchmark study.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) and vibration-based structural damage detection have been a continuous interest for civil, mechanical and aerospace engineers over the decades. Early and meticulous damage detection has always been one of the principal objectives of SHM applications. The performance of a classical damage detection system predominantly depends on the choice of the features and the classifier. While the fixed and hand-crafted features may either be a sub-optimal choice for a particular structure or fail to achieve the same level of performance on another structure, they usually require a large computation power which may hinder their usage for real-time structural damage detection. This paper presents a novel, fast and accurate structural damage detection system using 1D Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that has an inherent adaptive design to fuse both feature extraction and classification blocks into a single and compact learning body. The proposed method performs vibration-based damage detection and localization of the damage in real-time. The advantage of this approach is its ability to extract optimal damage-sensitive features automatically from the raw acceleration signals. Large-scale experiments conducted on a grandstand simulator revealed an outstanding performance and verified the computational efficiency of the proposed real-time damage detection method.

Vibration suppression remains a crucial issue in the design of structures and machines. Recent studies have shown that with the use of metamaterial inspired structures (or metastructures), considerable vibration attenuation can be achieved. Optimization of the internal geometry of metastructures maximizes the suppression performance. Zigzag inserts have been reported to be efficient for vibration attenuation. It has also been reported that the geometric parameters of the inserts affect the vibration suppression performance in a complex manner. In an attempt to find out the most efficient parameters, an optimization study has been conducted on the linear zigzag inserts and is presented here. The research reported in this paper aims at developing an automated method for determining the geometry of zigzag inserts through optimization. This genetic algorithm based optimization process searches for optimal zigzag designs which are properly tuned to suppress vibrations when inserted in a specific host structure (cantilever beam). The inserts adopted in this study consist of a cantilever zigzag structure with a mass attached to its unsupported tip. Numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed zigzag optimization approach.

Den 2 juli 2014 blev det enligt lag tillåtet för en- och tvåbostadshusägare att uppföra en bygglovsbefriad komplementbyggnad på max 25 kvadratmeter på den egna fastigheten. Rapporten undersöker vilket genomslag lagändringen har haft i Stor-Stockholm, Stor-Göteborg och Stor-Malmö. Undersökningen visar att lagändringen ännu inte har haft något stort genomslag. I rapporten undersöks även en utvald del av marknadsaktörers utbud av attefallshus avsett som komplementbostadshus. 

Ett attefallshus utformas med miljövänligt hållbara material och inspireras av Vitruvius tre principer för god arkitektur. Huset konstrueras med avsikt att uppfylla kraven som ställs i PBL, PBF, BBR och EKS. Målet med de framtagna bygghandlingarna är att få startbesked från byggnadsnämnden i Växjö. 

Rapid climate changes have increased the importance of environmental concerns,particularly within the construction industry, which faces substantial challenges to reduceits environmental footprint. Shifting from high-emission building materials to sustainablealternatives stands as a critical strategy to reduce climate impact. Previous studiesdemonstrate that timber structures produced lower greenhouse gas emissions compared tonon-timber options like concrete and steel.

CLT and its connections face a shortage of broad understanding and specific guidelines,notably in protected outdoor usage. Ambiguities in structural standards result inuncertainty, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes and needless expenses. Toaddress these challenges, this study aims to bridge knowledge gaps by investigating steelto-CLT connections under cyclic moment loading and analyzing moisture content inoutdoor applications to determine appropriate climate classifications. Two experimentswere carried out: one indoors, evaluating cyclic moment loading's effects on steel-to-CLTconnections, and another outdoors, focusing on moisture development in CLT regardingsurroundings temperature and humidity.

Results indicate noticeable stiffness variation due to cyclic loading, relaxationphenomena, and moisture content variations. This study offers valuable insights intounderstanding the structural behavior and moisture dynamics of steel-to-CLTconnections, which are critical for informed decision-making in the sustainable design ofsteel-to-CLT connections in protected outdoor applications.Keywords: moment loaded CLT connections, CLT connections, cyclic moment loading,moisture content, moisture content variation. 

This work concerns the examination of the interest and awareness of three innovative forms of housing that target young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 in the Swedish housing market. It also describes the existing stock of housing and highlights the most serious obstacles for the target group to obtain an accommodation. The work takes it’s starting point in the current housing shortage in Sweden where many groups for various reasons are hindered from the housing market for various reasons. The market is in need for public actors and various housing developers to find new ways to remedy the problem of obtaining an accommodation for these vulnerable groups. The study is based on previous research, surveys with young adults and interviews with intermediaries from different parts of the industry as a methodology. The results show an interest for, but low knowledge about the three types of housing: rent purchases, youth sets and cooperative rental apartments adapted for young adults. These are all adapted to reduce the problem for some persons within the target group to enter the housing market.

Byggnader konstruerade av KL-trä har blivit allt vanligare i Sverige och i resten av världen de senaste 20 åren. Trä är en förnyelsebar resurs och materialet tillåter varierad arkitektur. Eftersom trä är ett hygroskopiskt material finns det risker med att utsätta konstruktionen för nederbörd. Vissa forskare menar att väderskydd under konstruktionstiden är absolut nödvändigt på grund av risk för röta och mögel samt minskad hållfasthet, medan andra avfärdar dessa risker om det byggs medvetet. 

I Eurokod 5 används klimatklasser för att ta hänsyn till fuktens påverkan på hållfastheten och styvheten i trämaterialet. Det finns tre klimatklasser, varav två av dem har samma hållfasthetsmodifieringsfaktor för konstruktionsvirke och limträ samt KL-trä. Dimensionering av träkonstruktioner blir därför i viss utsträckning förenklad. 

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att visa hur tillverkare, konstruktörer och andra aktörer kan agera för att på ett mer detaljerat sätt dimensionera KL-trä med avseende på hur fukt påverkar dess hållfasthet och styvhet. Målet var att utveckla en beräkningsmodell och undersöka hur dimensionering av KL-trä kan göras på olika sätt samt att analysera de olika tillvägagångssättens för- och nackdelar.

Slutsatserna som dragits av arbetet är att beräkningsmodellerna kan användas för att dimensionera KL-trä med hänsyn till hur fuktkvoten varierar över tid och över skivans djup, förutsatt att aktuella fuktkvoter eller en realistisk uppskattning av fuktkvoter finns tillgänglig. Modellerna är även intressanta ur ett pedagogoiskt perspektiv då de tydligt åskådliggör hur fuktkvoten påverkar dimensioneringsresultaten för KL-trä.

The study presented in this paper is arguably the first study to use a self-organizing map (SOM) for global structural damage detection. A novel unsupervised vibration-based damage detection algorithm is introduced using SOMs in order to quantify structural damage. In this algorithm, SOMs are used to extract a number of damage indices from the random acceleration response of the monitored structure in the time domain. The summation of the indices is used as an indicator which reflects the overall condition of the structure. The ability of the algorithm to quantify the overall structural damage is demonstrated using experimental data of Phase II experimental benchmark problem of structural health monitoring.

The stadium structures have unique structural features increasing the significance of structural monitoring systems specifically designed for them. Aside from vibrations serviceability concerns and human -induced excitations, the development and propagation of structural damage under all possible atmospheric and seismic conditions need to be closely monitored for structural resiliency and integrity of the stadia. As such, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods combined with effective data evaluation methodologies need to be deployed to monitor the structural performance of stadiums. Even though stadia monitoring has been performed at multiple locations in the world, a web based and real-time SHM network of stadia is not known to authors. As a preliminary study for the network implementation of stadia monitoring with acceleration measurements, the presented work focuses on the fundamental steps to accomplish this goal, with a collaborative research effort between Qatar University, the University of Central Florida, and University of Alberta. The authors performed analytical investigations and experimental testing on stadium -type structures built in laboratory environments for the development of the SHM framework. Specialized signal processing algorithms, sensing suites and approaches considering multi -scale monitoring were used on collected acceleration measurements. The novelty of the work presented in this manuscript are the following items which exist simultaneously in the developed SHM framework. The developed framework is a web -based monitoring application where structural damage is detected in real-time. The proposed methodology operates directly on raw acceleration signals and runs at a network level. With that, the damage detection, damage localization, and damage quantification tasks are performed simultaneously, while the feature extraction and classification stages are combined in one learning body.

In this paper, a novel one dimensional convolution neural network (1D-CNN) based structural damage assessment technique is validated with a benchmark study published by IASC-ASCE Structural Health Monitoring Task Group in 2003. In contrast with predominant machine learning based structural damage detection techniques of the literature, the technique shown in this paper runs without manual feature extraction or preprocessing stages. It runs directly on the raw vibration data. In CNNs, the stages of feature extraction and feature classification are merged into one stage; therefore, the proposed technique is efficient, feasible and economical. Utilizing the optimal features learned by 1D CNNs, the proposed CNN-based technique considerably improves the classification efficiency and accuracy. The performance improvement of the proposed technique is assessed by calculating the “Probability of Damage” values for damage estimations. The unseen structural damage cases between the two extreme end structural cases (zero damage and total damage) were successfully identified. Consequently, it is validated that the improved CNN-based technique is efficient since it predicted the level of damage consistently with the structural damage cases defined in the existing benchmark.

Being an alternative to conventional wired sensors, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are extensively used in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications. Most of the Structural Damage Detection (SDD) approaches available in the SHM literature are centralized as they require transferring data from all sensors within the network to a single processing unit to evaluate the structural condition. These methods are found predominantly feasible for wired SHM systems; however, transmission and synchronization of huge data sets in WSNs has been found to be arduous. As such, the application of centralized methods with WSNs has been a challenge for engineers. In this paper, the authors are presenting a novel application of 1D Convolutional Neural Networks (1D CNNs) on WSNs for SDD purposes. The SDD is successfully performed completely wireless and real-time under ambient conditions. As a result of this, a decentralized damage detection method suitable for wireless SHM systems is proposed. The proposed method is based on 1D CNNs and it involves training an individual 1D CNN for each wireless sensor in the network in a format where each CNN is assigned to process the locally-available data only, eliminating the need for data transmission and synchronization. The proposed damage detection method operates directly on the raw ambient vibration condition signals without any filtering or preprocessing. Moreover, the proposed approach requires minimal computational time and power since 1D CNNs merge both feature extraction and classification tasks into a single learning block. This ability is prevailingly cost-effective and evidently practical in WSNs considering the hardware systems have been occasionally reported to suffer from limited power supply in these networks. To display the capability and verify the success of the proposed method, large-scale experiments conducted on a laboratory structure equipped with a state-of-the-art WSN are reported.

This paper presents a method for active vibration control of smart thin cantilever plates. For model formulation needed for controller design and simulations, finite difference technique is used on the cantilever plate response calculations. Piezoelectric patches are used on the plate, for which a neural network based control algorithm is formed and a neurocontroller is produced to calculate the required voltage to be applied on the actuator patch. The neurocontroller is trained and run with a Kalman Filter for controlling the structural response. The neurocontroller performance is assessed by comparing the controlled and uncontrolled structural responses when the plate is subjected to various excitations. It is shown that the acceleration response of the cantilever plate is suppressed considerably validating the efficacy of the neurocontroller and the success of the proposed methodology.

Structural damage detection methods available for structural health monitoring applications are based on data preprocessing, feature extraction, and feature classification. The feature classification task requires considerable computational power which makes the utilization of centralized techniques relatively infeasible for wireless sensor networks. In this paper, the authors present a novel Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based on One Dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks (1D CNNs) for real-time and wireless structural health monitoring (SHM). In this method, each CNN is assigned to its local sensor data only and a corresponding 1D CNN is trained for each sensor unit without any synchronization or data transmission. This results in a decentralized system for structural damage detection under ambient environment. The performance of this method is tested and validated on a steel grid laboratory structure.

Most of the classical structural damage detection systems involve two processes, feature extraction and feature classification. Usually, the feature extraction process requires large computational effort which prevent the application of the classical methods in real-time structural health monitoring applications. Furthermore, in many cases, the hand-crafted features extracted by the classical methods fail to accurately characterize the acquired signal, resulting in poor classification performance. In an attempt to overcome these issues, this paper presents a novel, fast and accurate structural damage detection and localization system utilizing one dimensional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) arguably for the first time in SHM applications. The proposed method is capable of extracting optimal damage-sensitive features automatically from the raw acceleration signals, allowing it to be used for real-time damage detection. This paper presents the preliminary experiments conducted to verify the proposed CNN-based approach.

The use of self-organizing maps and artificial neural networks for structural health monitoring is presented in this paper. The authors recently developed a nonparametric structural damage detection algorithm for extracting damage indices from the ambient vibration response of a structure. The algorithm is based on self-organizing maps with a multilayer feedforward pattern recognition neural network. After the training of the self-organizing maps, the algorithm was tested analytically under various damage scenarios based on stiffness reduction of beam members and boundary condition changes of a grid structure. The results indicated that proposed algorithm can successfully locate and quantify damage on the structure.

Metastructures are known to provide considerable vibration attenuation for mechanical systems. With the optimization of the internal geometry of metastructures, the suppression performance of the host structure increases. While the zigzag inserts have been shown to be efficient for vibration attenuation, the geometric properties of the inserts affect the suppression performance in a complex manner when attached to the host structure. This paper presents a genetic algorithm based optimization study conducted to come up with the most efficient geometric properties of the zigzag inserts. The inserts studied in this paper are simply cantilever zigzag structures with a mass attached to the unsupported tips. Numerical simulations are run to show the efficiency of the optimization process.

The building sector in Sweden has a big impact on the environment and new methods as well as new technology need to be developed in order to improve the situation. An online tool can be used as an aid in learning and to improve the knowledge. The thesis work comprises the development of an online tool and furthermore an investigation of how other online tools work and how they are designed.The goal and the purpose of the thesis was to create an online tool that can be implemented in the course Steel and Timber Structural Engineering at Linnaeus University. In order to help students with learning and to check calculations.The program that has been developed offers the ability to calculate the load bearing capacity of beams, pillars and connections with metal fasteners. The online tool is in an early stage and needs further. The surveys and interviews gave an insight to what functions need to be implemented in the future.

Glas är ett styvt material som används bland annat inom byggbranschen och fordonsindustrin. Glas har hög styvhet och hög hållfasthet men är ett sprött material. När en spricka uppstår i en laminerad glasbalk minskas dess bärförmåga och styvhet och säkerhetsrisken ökar. För att garantera en hög säkerhet används laminerat glas där tunna plastfilmer limmar ihop flera skikt av glas (som även kallas för lameller). När glaset lamineras fungerar det som ett paket där spänningarna kan överföras mellan de olika lamellerna. Användningsområden inom byggbranschen kan vara plana element, till exempel för fönster eller balkonräcken, dessutom finns både liggande balkar (böjning i den tunna riktningen) samt stående balkar.

Även i balkar av laminerat glas kan sprickor i en av lamellerna uppstå. Dessa fångas dock upp av de andra lamellerna så att hela balken förblir intakt och hålls på plats. En sprucken balk tappar då en del av bärförmågan och styvheten jämfört med en osprucken balk. Spruckna balkar kan alltså inte bära samma last.

Syftet med arbetet är att öka kunskapen om beteendet hos laminerat glas som är sprucket och få bättre förståelse för hur laminerat glas beter sig när det går till brott. Målet är att verifiera den numeriska beräkningsmodellen av Abdul Khader, Basim & Reshid (2020) genom experimentella försök. Modellen beskriver liggande balkar av laminerat glas, både spruckna och ospruckna balkar.

I detta examenarbete användes olika metoder: litteraturundersökning, tillämpning av en beräkningsmodell samt experiment. Litteratundersökningen gav ett fördjupande förståelse dels om ämnet glas exempelvis om olika typer av glas och glasets generella egenskaper, dels om laminerat glas, hur det är uppbyggt, tillverkat och egenskaper förbättras genom lamineringen. Beräkningsmodellen som detta arbete bygger på är från en tidigare studie, där en beräkningsmetod för spruckna glasbalkar beskrevs med hjälp av den så kallade effektiva tjockleksmetoden för böjstyvhet av laminerat glas. Experiment genomfördes för att studera hur laminerade glasbalkar med och utan spricka i mitten beter sig när de utsätts för belastning.

Resultaten visar skillnaden mellan ospruckna och spruckna balkar av laminerat glas med två skikt när det gäller böjstyvheten och bärförmågan. Experimenten visar att nedböjningen för spruckna balkar är dubbelt så stor som för ospruckna balkar. Skillnaden beror på att böjstyvheten hos spruckna balkar är lägre än hos ospruckna balkar. På grund av sprickan i mitten överförs lasterna endast i en skiva, och dessutom minskas böjstyvheten i den ospruckna delen.

Beräkningsmodellen överensstämde väl med resultaten från de utförda experimenten. Detta bekräftar att modellen kan tillämpas för laminerade glasbalkar. Mer omfattande studier bör dock genomföras där de ingående parametrarna varieras, till exempel genom längre balkar, sprickor på andra ställen än i mitten, samt att olika material för mellansiktet används.

Detta examensarbete syftar till att utreda klimatsimuleringsprogrammen IDA-ICE och WUFI, hur dessa program kan komplettera varandra och användas till simulering av kyrktorn som blivit byggda i sten. IDA-ICE har av tidigare utredningar klargjort att detta program inte redovisa fuktlagring i konstruktioner vilket WUFI gör, därav valet till dessa program. Klimatsimuleringarna utförs i Nässjö gamla kyrkas torn som är byggt av stenblock som sammanfogats med kalkbruk.

Utredningen görs med hjälp av klimatloggar som mäter temperatur och relativ fuktighet. Dessa mätinstrument placeras ut i Nässjö gamla kyrkas torn för mätning. Värdena för klimatloggarna jämförs med simuleringarnas värden från IDA-ICE och WUFI.

Klimatsimuleringarna visar sig inte ge samma värden av temperatur eller relativ fuktighet gentemot klimatloggarnas uppmätta värden. Klimatdatan i IDA-ICE skiljer sig mycket från verkligheten vilket bland annat påverkar resultatet. WUFI simulerar endimensionella punkter för konstruktioner vilket innebär att uppbyggnaden av ytterväggarna i programmet inte ger en rättvis bild mot verkligheten, vilket också påverkar resultatet. Resultatet ger därför en bristfällighet till användning av dessa simuleringsprogram, för utredning av klimatet i kyrktorn som är byggda i sten. Det är istället säkrare att använda klimatloggar vid utredningar av klimat, för denna typ av byggnad, då dessa, rätt kalibrerade är tillförlitliga.

In recent centuries, there has been a growth in the population of larger cities, where buildings have started to be constructed vertically to preserve green spaces. This has led to higher exposure to wind loads, which buildings need to be stabilized against. Steel stabilization systems are used to stabilize structures against horizontal loads such as earthquakes and wind. Common designs used for multi-story buildings and examined in this study include X-, V-, inverted V-, and diagonal designs. The diagonal design is also examined in an additional variant, referred to as the Z-design.

The choice of which design to use for an optimized structure can depend on several different factors, some of which include the amount of material, cost, and performance of the structure. Without the dimensioning and analysis of the stabilization systems based on aspects of performance, material consumption and cost, the choice of stabilization system can lead to weak stabilization capability or over-dimensioning, which in turn leads to increased material consumption and cost. The purpose of this work is to develop a technical basis for an optimized construction based on the aforementioned factors. The purpose will be achieved through sub-goals which involve calculating loads, dimensioning and modeling of stabilization systems and also comparing material consumption, cost, and performance of the different stabilization systems.

The modeling of construction systems with different designs was conducted in the SAP2000 program, while calculations of loads, dimensioning of elements and calculations of material quantities and costs were carried out in MathCad. The obtained data is then used to conduct a comparison and analysis to identify the design that isoptimal in terms of performance, material consumption and cost.

The inverted V-design was found to be the optimal based on an overall assessment considering performance, material quantity and cost. Although the V-design is the cheapest and the X-design results in high performance, the inverted V-design was the optimal solution due to its low cost and material consumption as well as high performance. The diagonal design has weak stabilization capability and relatively high cost and could directly be excluded as the optimal design. Similarly, the Z-design could also be excluded as the optimal design due to its high cost and relatively weak stabilization capability. 

In 2013 the European journal of wood and wood products published an article regarding a new method to predict strength in structural timber (Olsson et al 2013). By determining the fibres orientation on all four surfaces of each board in sample of timber using a high resolution scanner the authors were able to achieve a coefficient of determination, R², as high as 0.71 between bending strength and a new indicating property (IP). For the same sample of timber Olsson et al (2013) determined the R² by axial dynamic excitation as 0.59. However, all boards used in their investigation were planed before scanning. This study examines if a high resolution scanner could be used to determine the fibre orientation on the surfaces of sawn timber boards of Norway spruce. Both band sawn surfaces and circular sawn surfaces were examined. The procedure in this investigation is described as follows. Firstly, both the band sawn and the circular sawn boards were scanned by a WoodEye® scanner and together with dimensions, weight and the first longitudinal resonance frequency, a modulus of elasticity (MOE) profile was calculated for each board. The MOE profiles were calculated according to Olsson et al (2013) i.e. by a transformation matrix based upon the fibres orientation and a compliance matrix based on material parameters for Norway spruce. Secondly, the corresponding MOE profiles were then determined after the boards had been planed. As a result two MOE profiles were determined for each board. An indicating property (IP) was defined as the lowest value along each MOE profile. To compare the results a regression analysis was performed in which the IPs defined before planing worked as predictor variable and IPs defined after planing worked as response variable. The band sawn band boards yielded an R² = 0.94 and the circular sawn boards an R² = 0.93. Further the standard error of estimate was SEE = 829.1 MPa and SEE = 640.9 MPa respectively. As a last step in this investigation the SEE values achieved in this study where implemented on to the sample Olsson et al (2013) used in their investigation.

Machine strength grading of sawn timber is a sawmill process in which density, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and bending or tensile strength are predicted such that the timber can be assigned to strength classes. The predictions of these properties are performed using one or several so-called indicating properties (IPs), which represent a board property, or combination of board properties, measured non-destructively. A limitation of today’s strength grading is that the IPs applied in the industry for prediction of strength, in general, are based on rather weak statistical relationships between IPs and strength properties, which in turn results in poor material utilisation. It is well known that the strength of sawn timber is associated with the presence of knots and their surrounding fibre disorientations. Local fibre direction at surfaces of softwood can be determined by means of the light scattering that occur when a wood surface is illuminated by a dot-laser, i.e. by application of the so-called tracheid effect. Lately, IPs based on such measurements have been developed, and some of the suggested IPs have a strong statistical relationship to bending strength. The purposes of the research presented in this thesis are to contribute with knowledge of possibilities and limitations of the tracheid effect and of data of fibre directions in the vicinity of knots, to evaluate if information of fibre directions at surfaces of Norway spruce sawn timber can be used to achieve a better material utilisation of glulam lamellae and finger-jointed timber, and to provide insight regarding the grading regulations in Europe. Results presented herein show that knots and fibre direction within the interior of boards can be modelled on the basis of data obtained by means of the tracheid effect, but also that a previously proposed method to determine out-of-plane fibre angles gives poor accuracy. As regards grading of glulam lamellae, an IP based on fibre directions and dynamic MOE is proposed for prediction of tensile strength. The latter is used when grading glulam lamellae. Application of the proposed IP resulted in substantially increased yield in strength classes. It is also shown that this IP is applicable for boards with sawn as well as with planed surface finish. Regarding current regulations for machine strength grading in Europe, results indicate that grading based on global board properties give higher yield than what is appropriate.

This paper addresses laser scanning and utilization of the tracheid effect for determination of local fibre orientation, which is decisive for strength and stiffness of timber. A newly developed laboratory laser scanner that can be used for high resolution and high precision scanning of wood surfaces is used for in-depth assessment of a single Norway spruce specimen that contains a knot. It is assumed that the specimen has a plane of symmetry, through the knot, and by splitting the specimen in two parts it is possible to determine fibre orientation on orthogonal planes. Hence, by relying on the assumption of symmetry, the fibre orientation in 3D space can also be determined. The results are used to evaluate the possibility of utilizing the tracheid effect for determination of the out-of-plane fibre angle of an investigated surface. Furthermore, the results are used for verification of a theoretical fibre orientation model that has often been used by researchers.

Ongoing research concerns the possibility of determining the 3D orientation of wood fibres within the entire volume of a wooden board using surface information from laser scanning. Previous research, Olsson and Oscarsson [1], has shown that the fibre orientation of side boards can be determined on the basis of such information. The present research is extended to also comprise boards cut from the centre of the log and a first step in this work is to establish 3D models of knots in boards on the basis of information from dot laser scanning of surfaces.

In comparison with other approaches aiming at 3D models of knots and wood fibre orientation, e.g. Guindos and Guaita[2] and Hackspiel et al. [3], the present model relies to a larger extent on the actual fibre orientation measured on each individual board, rather than on general assumption and mathematical models of typical fibre orientation alone.  

The fact that all data needed for the model can be sampled in sawmill production speed means that developed models could be used as a basis for advanced strength grading methods, for grading with respect to shape stability and for other purposes of industrial interest.

The presence of wood irregularities such as knots are decisive for the mechanical properties of sawn timber, and efficient utilisation of timber requires methods by which grade determining properties can be predicted with high accuracy. In the glulam and sawmilling industries today, there is a potential and a need for more accurate prediction methods. This paper concerns the performance of a set of indicating properties calculated by means of data from surface laser scanning, dynamic excitation and X-ray scanning, the latter used to obtain boards’ average density. A total number of 967 boards of Norway spruce originating from Finland, Norway and Sweden were used to determine statistical relationships between the indicating properties and the grade determining properties used to grade sawn timber into T-classes. Results show that the indicating properties give coefficients of determination to tensile strength as high as 0.70. Furthermore, results also show that laser scanning of boards with sawn surface finish give basis for almost as accurate grading as what scanning of planed boards do. The results imply that more accurate grading of timber into T-classes is possible by application of a new set of indicating properties. This paper is part one of a series of two papers. In the second paper, two models to derive settings and calculate yield in different strength classes using the indicating properties presented herein are compared and discussed.

In Europe, strength classes for structural timber and glulam lamellae are defined by minimum requirements of characteristic values of the grade determining properties (GDPs). To fulfill these minimum requirements of characteristic values in the daily production at sawmills, indicating properties (IPs) to GDPs are calculated for each board and based on predetermined limits of the IPs (settings) boards are assigned to the graded class, or rejected. The aims of this paper is to address and discuss two different grading procedures/models that can be applied when settings for IPs that reflects a local board property are derived and to show how the yield in different T-classes depend on the model applied. It is not always that a board’s weakest cross-section is evaluated in a destructive test. An IP representing a local board property can therefore be determined either as the lowest property of the tested part of the board or as the lowest property along the whole board when applied to derive settings. Results presented in this paper show that too low settings and too large yields are obtained when the latter IP is employed. Similarly, IPs reflecting a global board property, like axial dynamic MOE, also give too low settings and too high yield in strength classes. This paper is the second and closing part of a series of two paper on prediction of GDPs and procedures for grading sawn timber into T-classes.

Most machine strength grading methods of today result in limited grading accuracy and poor yield in higher strength classes. A new and more accurate grading method utilizing laser scanning technique to determine the in-plane fibre directions on board surfaces was recently approved for the European market. In this, however, no consideration is taken to the out-of-plane direction of the fibres. A first step towards scanning-based 3D models of the fibre orientation is the establishment of 3D knot models. In this investigation laser scanning was used to identify knot surfaces on longitudinal board surfaces. By means of developed algorithms knot surfaces that belonged to the same physical knot visible on different sides of the board were identified. All knots with surface areas larger than 100 mm² were correctly identified and modeled in 3D. This is a promising starting point for further development of the new grading method based on laser scanning.

The need for increased sustainability in the construction sector by reducing the carbon foot-print is essential. One way to achieve this is by enhancing the use of wood-based materialsfor floor systems. To achieve longer span widths and provide flexibility in floor layoutsfor office buildings, ribbed floor systems are needed. The use of composite floor systems,like ribbed plates, is beneficial for extending the application of wood-based floor systems. Aribbed plate typically consists of a combination of a top plate and beams, providing structuralefficiency and competitive performance compared to traditional floor constructions.

This thesis focuses on optimizing timber flooring systems for 8-meter-span office buildings.The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, a parameter study was conductedby adjusting geometrical parameters, such as rib spacing, and material parameters, like thematerial strength class, to find optimized floor layouts. The gamma-method was appliedto assess structural performance, and cross-sections were evaluated regarding their height,costs, and environmental impact in terms of global warming potential (GWP) after undergo-ing serviceability limit state (SLS) and ultimate limit state (ULS) checks. Considering theenvironmental impact, the life cycle assessment (LCA) stages A1-A4 were assessed in termsof GWP 100 (100 years). Three sections were investigated in the first stage: (i) a cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam) combination, (ii) a laminatedveneer lumber (LVL) I-section, and (iii) an LVL and I-beam combination. In Stage 1 theLVL section was approximately 30% lower in costs compared to the other sections and hadthe smallest cross-sectional height. However, the LVL section had a GWP 2.4 times higherthan the CLT and glulam sections, which had the best results in Stage 1.

In Stage 2, based on the results from Stage 1, a customized ”Tailor-made” section was de-signed and optimized, featuring an LVL top plate, sawn timber rib, and flange. The tailor-made section emerges as a promising solution, achieving great results in all key parameterswith results showing further cost reductions, competitive height, and good GWP perfor-mance. Following the results from Stage 1, it is the most cost-effective section, costing 30%less than the LVL section, while its GWP is within 15% of the CLT and glulam section,which performs best in terms of GWP. Although the LVL section has the best height, theheight difference of the tailor-made section is within 5 cm of it. This thesis highlights theintricate trade-offs involved in optimizing flooring systems, considering structural strength,cost efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

In this study it was investigated whether cross laminated timber (CLT) can be used more efficiently than today by optimized grading of wood into two strength classes and placing the lamina with better mechanical properties in the most loaded parts of the CLT-elements.

The purpose of this work was to determine the design factors for the CLT structure of an apartment building and be able to contribute to increased knowledge of efficient material utilization.

The study links to an existing project Kilströmskaj, which is a seven-story building with a load-bearing frame of CLT and investigated the alternative use of timber graded into two different strength classes.

The study showed that for floors, the design factors are natural frequency and deformation. Decisive for the mechanical properties of the floor elements is the stiffness of the outer layers. The result for elements with two classes of strength graded sawn timber showed a potential for savings between  9 - 41%.

For walls, it turned out that fire was the critical design factor. As fire was the designing factor and the elements were only protected with a single layer of gypsum, there was no potential material savings in using different grades of wood in different layers. For walls with double layers of gypsum, however, there would be a potential for material savings of between 14 - 17 % . If fire is not the designing factor, there is a possible material saving of  28 %.

Stadiums like those used for sporting or concert events are distinct from other civil engineering structures due to several different characteristics. Some challenges mainly originate from the interaction with the human factor, as stadiums are subjected to both synchronized and random motion of large crowds. The investigations in the literature on this topic clearly state that stadiums designs are in urgent need of more reliable load quantification and modeling strategies, deeper understanding of structural response, generation of simple but efficient human–structure interaction models, and more accurate criteria for vibration acceptability. Although many esthetically pleasing and technologically advanced stadiums have been designed and constructed using structurally innovative methods, recent research on this field still calls for less conservative and more realistic designs. This article aims to highlight the recent advances in this field and to provide a follow-up to the literature review covering until 2008 (Jones et al., 2011a) on vibration serviceability of stadiums structures. The article will also discuss new sensing and monitoring techniques on load-time history measurements and their regeneration, as well as crowd motion, stadium health monitoring, and human comfort analysis. Operational effects of crowds on the dynamic properties are also discussed. The article concludes with a forward look on the recommended work and research for dynamic assessment of stadiums.

Due to an increasing number of acts of terror where vehicles are used as a form of weapon a need to protect pedestrians has arisen. In this study the load capacity of interlocking concrete blocks with a rectangular cross section was examined based on various deformations and collapses. The concrete blocks could be used as protection against collisions such as terrorist attacks with vehicles as well as a barrier between work zones and close by traffic.

The purpose of the study was to determine the load capacity in the event of a collision with a car, truck or forklift for different types of walls as well as for single blocks. The concrete blocks in the walls have both been built as Lego as well as stacked parallel on top of each other.

The work is based on calculations. The results have been checked against existing documents from C3C Engineering AB. Using MathCad and Excel a document for calculations has been designed.

The result from the calculations shows that walls will slide when a load acts at a low height in relation to the ground. The wall will overturn when the load acts at a higher distance from the ground.

Societies demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable construction is ever increasing. One way to meet these new demands on environmentally friendly construction is to use more wood which decreases carbon emissions through the substitution effect. This report aims to research whether traditional joinery techniques entirely executed in wood can replace contemporary joinery techniques in future construction. The goal is to show whether this is possible from a strength standpoint. The research will be limited in that it will strictly seek to study a pillar-beamconnection where the traditional joint researched will be three varying mortise and tenon joints and the contemporary joint is a joist hanger. The joints will be analyzed with calculation and experimentation where the load case aims to produce mainly shear in the joint. The results point towards it being possible to introduce this traditional joint in contemporary construction.

Annoying vibrations in grandstand structures have been receiving more attention due to the increasing slenderness of the architectural components and the complexity of the crowd loading for engineers. The vibration serviceability checks under these conditions become a challenge in the design and operation stages. Regarding human comfort, excessive vibrations due to occupant activities may affect comfort and/or cause panic, especially for passive occupants who do not participate in generating excitations. Although durations of excessive vibrations have been considered as one of the most important factors affecting occupant comfort, incorporating the vibration duration in the occupant comfort analysis has not been addressed yet. In addition, the currently available approaches using raw acceleration, weighted RMS acceleration, vibration dose values (VDV), and so on may not always be sufficient for serviceability assessment due to the lack of guided procedure for calculating the integration time and implementing the duration of vibration into the process. Therefore this study proposes a new parameter and framework for assessing human comfort which incorporates the duration of vibration with conventional data processing. The aim is to better examine vibration levels and the corresponding occupant response focusing on grandstand structures. A new parameter, the area of RMS (ARMS), is introduced using the running RMS values of acceleration weighted by the frequency weighting functions. Furthermore, perception ranges for human comfort levels based on the proposed parameter are presented. The experimental study reveals that the proposed framework can successfully address the impact of duration time on determining the levels of vibrations and comfort using the proposed parameter.

Undersökningen som görs i det här examensarbetet följer upp energianvändningen på delar av området Östra Lugnet i Växjö. Energianvändningen jämförs mot de energikrav som BBR och Växjö kommun ställer.

Arbetet tar också fram differenserna mellan faktisk och beräknad energianvändning, utifrån den specifika energianvändningen för bostäderna för år 2015. De differenser som resultatet visar jämförs sedan mot olika faktorer som kan påverka att det finns en skillnad. De faktorer den här undersökningen studerar närmare är framförallt energiberäkningsprogrammen som används i projekteringen, men också boendevanor och vad för typ av människor som brukar bostäderna.

The building in this survey was completed in October 2016 and is located at Kvarnvägen 31 in Gemla. The purpose of the study is to map the energy consumption and determine whether the installation of solar collectors is beneficial or not. The goal is to map the energy use in the building, report improvement measures and analyse the technical installations.

The qualitative methods consisted of a study visit, site visits, review of drawings and an ocular survey of the building with a thermal camera. In order to calculate and analyse the building´s energy use, modelling of the building envelope components and technical installations were performed in VIP-Energy.

The results of the energy survey shows that the calculated energy use for the building is similar to the projected energy use and the energy declaration places the building in energy class B. Many factors are of significant importance in optimizing solar collectors such as inclination angle, orientation and installation type. Having solar collectors installed proved to be beneficial both in terms of energy and cost if they are connected as proposed. HSB FTX is theoretically advantageous for both preheating of supply air and defrosting of the building's ventilation system.

The enhancement proposals are to adjust the inclination angle of the solar collectors and to reconnect the heat input obtained from the solar collectors.

Rapporten omfattar en utredning av intresset för den nya boendeformen generationsboende, som är ett flerbostadshus anpassat för att alla generationer ska kunna bo och trivas. Bostadsbrist råder på många platser i Sverige. Befolkningen åldras och behöver tillgänglighetsanpassade alternativ till att bo kvar i sitt gamla boende eller flytta in på ett boende med bara andra äldre. Unga behöver hjälp ut på bostadsmarknaden och småbarnsfamiljer behöver ett boendealternativ som kan spara dem tid.

Syftet är att utreda hur ett generationsboende på bästa sätt bör utformas och målet är att ta fram ett förslag baserat på den data som samlats in. Data samlades in genom informationssökning, enkäter, djupintervjuer och studiebesök. Resultatet visade att den önskade gemenskapen med grannarna låg på 5,37 på en tiogradig skala och att det var viktigt att lägenheterna var klimateffektiva och kvadratoptimerat utformade med bra ljusinsläpp. Gemensamma utrymmen väckte stort intresse hos respondenterna men vilka typer av utrymmen som föredrogs varierade beroende på ålder.

Slutligen ritades ett förslag på ett generationsboende upp baserat på resultaten. Slutsatsen är att ett generationsboende är en god idé då det fick bra respons.

Arbetet behandlar färgers betydelse för att förbättra bostadskvalité genom att implementera specifika färger i bostadens interiöra väggar till samtliga rum. Rummen i bostaden har olika funktioner. Funktionerna kan förbättras genom tillämpning av färgers psykologiska egenskaper. En ökad bostadskvalité leder till ökat välbefinnande hos individer och är en av många faktorer som påverkar den sociala, ekologiska och ekonomiska hållbarheten i samhället.

Arbetets förslag tas fram genom studiens enkätundersökning som underlag. Enkätundersökningen grundar sig i färgteorier och dess psykologiska egenskaper. Resultaten visar att det finns en okunskap om färgers funktionella betydelse i bostaden och att individer ändrar sina färgval efter förmedlad kunskap. Förslaget bör ses som rekommendationer till färgsättning på interiöra väggar i förhållande till rummets funktion.

The world population is increasing and so is the housing shortage. 62 percent of Sweden's municipalities report a housing shortage. At the same time about 280 000 buildings in Sweden are abandoned. The purpose of this study is to investigate how municipalities can work to create better conditions to repopulate the abandoned houses in rural areas. This study is based on Uppvidinge municipality, but could also be applied in other municipalities in Sweden.

To achieve a good result, both a semi-structured interview study, a literature review and a field study were conducted. The methods were chosen to provide a deeper understanding of the work other municipalities already have done regarding deserted houses.

The research resulted in a strategy plan that describes how municipalities can work to identify abandoned houses and make them habitable again. The results showed that the inventory of abandoned houses should focus on communication rather than technical inventory work. In order for municipalities to succeed in the work of repopulating abandoned houses, they need financial support from politics, good communication and cooperation with other actors in the society, but also a passion for rural development.

This study investigates how schoolyards can be used as a resource to promote sustainable development. This by providing insights towards the development of green schoolyards and demonstrating how various aspects of sustainability can be integrated into schoolyard development. Global sustainable development goals have increased the need for cities to adopt more nature-based solutions to address societal and environmental challenges, where green schoolyards work as an effective strategy for creating climate resilient cities. However, there is a lack of established methods for green schoolyard development. In 2024, the Green Schoolyard Evaluation Tool (GSET) was introduced in the Netherlands, to evaluate schoolyards based on five categories. This study applies the GSET-tool to schoolyards in Växjö, Sweden, identifying improvement areas and presenting design proposals based on the results. Findings indicate that Swedish schoolyard designs prioritize artificial playground equipment over natural features, and that Swedish regulations guided by the Swedish planning and building law and Boverket lack specific content requirements. The study underscores the need for new strategies to optimize schoolyard spaces with more nature-based solutions and demonstrates the application of GSET in transforming traditional Swedish schoolyards into greener, more sustainable environments. Results show that the median GSET score in Växjö was 50,67 out of 100. Key findings include that GSET can potentially be applied to Swedish schoolyards, where it can serve as a checklist for evaluation, implementation of nature-based solutions, and inspiration for creating design proposals. Additional factors should be considered alongside with GSET in schoolyard development, meaning that GSET should be seen as a supplement to existing methods. However, there is no established method for green schoolyard development in Växjö today, which makes GSET a potential strategy for schoolyards in Växjö to increase their contribution to sustainable development. 

Syftet med studien är att studera vilka möjligheter arbetsledningen på svenska byggföretag har, att på ett effektivare sätt styra värdeflödet av resurser med visuell styrning. Målet med studien är att identifiera förbättringsförslag och fördelar som finns och som kan skapas med visuell styrning för arbetsledningen vid anläggningsarbeten.Studien bygger på mätningar som har genomförts på ett anläggningsarbete av en cirkulationsplats i Ullared under 7 dagar där Skanska AB var entreprenör.Under mätningarna har författarna tagit fram fördelar och förbättringsförslag som finns eller kan skapas med visuell styrning. Slutsats och diskussion ska ge en indikation till svenska byggföretag om vad de kan göra för att tillgodogöra sig framstegen från tillverkningsindustrin.

Single family houses represent the biggest potential for energy savings within residential buildingsin the Nordic countries. In earlier research project [1] it highlighted that there is a missing linkbetween the single family house owner and various segregated offers of single solutions forrenovation and/or energy efficiency installations. In the two international research projectsSuccessFamiles and One Stop Shop, establishment of new business models as pilots for bridgingthis gap are now being monitored.Two of the pilots as “one stop shops”, a retailer chain in Finland and a daughter company of aNorwegian manufacturer of insulation, are described and discussed.A key issue for any business model which offers an integrated service from analysis of the houseand recommendations for measures is the trustworthiness of the supplier.As a holistic energy efficient renovation project is a “new” and unknown service to single familyhouse owner and at same time a costly investment, it is important for the suppliers to findadequate ways of communicating through each phase of the buying process. There are variouschallenges in each of the phases which have to be solved differently.

In the woodworking industry, detection of annual rings and location of pith in relation to timber board cross sections, and how these properties vary in the longitudinal direction of boards, is relevant for many purposes such as assessment of shape stability and prediction of mechanical properties of timber. The current work aims at developing a fast, accurate and operationally simple deep learning-based algorithm for automatic detection of surface growth rings and pith location along knot-free clear wood sections of Norway spruce boards. First, individual surface growth rings that are visible along the four longitudinal sides of the scanned boards are detected using trained conditional generative adversarial networks (cGANs). Then, pith locations are determined, on the basis of the detected growth rings, by using a trained multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network. The proposed algorithm was solely based on raw images of board surfaces obtained from optical scanning and applied to a total of 104 Norway spruce boards with nominal dimensions of 45×145×4500mm³. The results show that optical scanners and the proposed automatic method allow for accurate and fast detection of individual surface growth rings and pith location along boards. For boards with the pith located within the cross section, median errors of 1.4 mm and 2.9 mm, in the x- and y-direction, respectively, were obtained. For a sample of boards with the pith located outside the board cross section in most positions along the board, the median discrepancy between automatically estimated and manually determined pith locations was 3.9 mm and 5.4 mm in the x- and y-direction, respectively.

Knowledge of annual ring width and location of pith in relation to board cross-sections, and how these properties vary in the longitudinal direction of boards, is relevant for many purposes, such as assessment of shape mechanical properties and stability of sawn timber. Hence, the present research aims at developing a novel method and an algorithm, based on data obtained from optical surface scanning, by which the pith location along the length of sawn timber boards can be determined accurately and automatically. The first step of the method is to identify clear wood sections, free of defects along boards. Then time-frequency analysis, using the continuous wavelet transform, is applied to detect the surface annual ring width distribution of the four sides of the selected sections. Finally, the pith location is estimated by comparing annual ring width distributions on the different surfaces, and assuming that annual rings are concentric circles with the pith in the centre. The proposed algorithm was applied to a total sample of 104 Norway spruce boards. Results indicate that optical scanners and the suggested automatic method allow for accurate detection of annual ring width and location of pith along boards. For a sample of boards with the pith located within the cross-section, a mean error of 2.6 mm and 3.2  mm in the depth and thickness direction, respectively, was obtained. For a sample of boards of which 60% with pith located outside the cross-section, a mean discrepancy between automatically and manually determined pith locations of 3.9 mm and 5.8 mm in depth and thickness direction, respectively, was obtained.

There are researches going on about timber as a construction material and how typical joints are affected by the loads. In this study an office building with a primary load- bearing structure of timber is being studied. The building has four floors and is located in Växjö.

The aim and purpose of the study is to identify relevant load effects that are affecting the building. In order to calculate the horizontal load effects, a computer program called FEM- Design was used and the vertical load effects were calculated by hand.

The results of the study show relevant load effect data that the building is being exposed to. The results also show that there is a linear relationship between the vertical load effects and the number of floors in the building. However, the relationship between the horizontal load effects and the number of floors is instead exponential. These relationships only apply to geographical locations where the snow load and the basic wind velocity are the same as in Växjö municipality.

Wooden floors usually have worse impact sound insulation (ISI) at low frequencies than concrete floors having the same rating level. Rating level is usually expressed by single-number quantities (SNQs), such as weighted impact sound pressure level Ln,w. Psychoacoustic research among wooden floors is very limited although a controlled laboratory experiment is the strongest method to point out the most adequate SNQs to be declared for the floors. The purpose of our study was to determine how four standardized SNQs of ISO 717-2, Ln,w, Ln,w +CI, Ln,w +CI,50, and LiA,Fmax,V,T, and a recently proposed SNQ, Ln,w +CI,25, are associated with the annoyance of natural impact sounds transmitted through wooden floors. Fifteen floors were built in the laboratory based either on cross laminated timber (heavy) or open box wood (light) slabs. Different coverings and suspended ceilings were applied on these slabs. The ISI was tested within 25-3150 Hz using both tapping machine and rubber ball. Thereafter, five natural impact sounds were recorded for each floor: rubber ball drops, steel ball drops, walking, jumping, and chair pushing. Fifty-two people rated the annoyance of these 75 recorded natural impact sounds in psychophysics laboratory. Annoyance was best associated with Ln,w for all the five impact sound types. That is, measurement of ISI within 100-3150 Hz is sufficient from subjective point of view. All four SNQs based on tapping machine explained annoyance better than the SNQ based on rubber ball. Our results can significantly guide the future research, development, and regulations of wooden floors.