Design approach for cost-effective hybrid CLT floors
Abstract
There is a growing research and production interest for the application of lower-cost
hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels composed of timber layers of dissimilar quality.
Therefore, an approach for the design of cost-effective hybrid CLT panels in bending, based
on the existing analytical and novel finite element procedures, is presented in the paper.
The gamma-method, the extended gamma method, and the composite theory are applied
in the analysis of square panels, while the finite element model based on the Reddy’s
full layerwise theory is used for the complex-shape panels in bending. An extensive
benchmark technical and economic study is performed for 25 CLT panels, considering
various spans, lamination schemes, geometries, and boundary conditions. Cost savings
made by using a lower timber class in central zones of CLT panels are highlighted and
quantified. This concept shows an economic potential that should be considered during
the design and production of CLT pan...els in structural engineering applications, such as
lightweight floor structures.
Keywords:
cross-laminated timber / laminate / cost analysis / FEMSource:
Gradjevinar, 2022, 74, 4, 301-311Publisher:
- Croatian Association of Civil Engineers
Funding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200092 (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200092)