Grant: Alliance Grants

There is an acute need for research to develop novel and value-added applications for wood to maximize the benefits from sustainably harvesting Canada's abundant forests and to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by expanding the use of the sustainable material wood. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) provides many benefits when compared to either light-frame wood or concrete construction, such as a high-level of prefabrication and fast erection. As such, CLT constitutes a promising solution for numerous structural applications, including as floors for large residential and commercial buildings. It is widely agreed in the construction industry that Post+Panel structural systems, where CLT are directly point-supported on columns without beams, are the most cost competitive for mass timber mid and high-rise multi-unit residential structures; it is the structural solution that can compete with concrete or steel at a private developer level. However, the lack of scientific design guidance for the punching shear design of CLT panels is the most significant barrier to widespread adoption. Using experimental methods, this Alliance project will investigate the CLT punching shear strength and propose design methods for point supported CLT floors panels.