The overall goal of this study was to gain an insight into the load sharing aspect between oriented strand board (OSB) and gypsum wall board (GWB) in shear wall assembly during racking load. More specifically the objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate qualitatively the load sharing between OSB...
Engineers, in practice, are often faced with the challenge of evaluating a fire-damaged structure and developing a rehabilitation and retrofit plan. In order to decide on a rehabilitation and retrofit plan, information on thermal degradation of building materials and connections are vital. A critical knowledge gap exists in terms of...
For wood beams, it is often assumed that the neutral axis (NA) is located at the centroid of the beam. This would be the case for isotropic and homogeneous materials but these prerequisites are not valid for wood. The varying grain patterns and knots located throughout wood make wood anisotropic...
The effect of grain angle (GA) on shear strength of Douglas-fir has been evaluated. Shear block specimens with a GA varying from 0 to 90° was loaded in the shear plane, resulting in failure mode transitioning from parallel to grain shear to rolling shear. As expected, shear strength decreased as...
Current compression perpendicular-to-grain (C-perpendicular to) design values for wood members are based on mean stress obtained from ASTM D143 specimen. The standard ASTM test with metal on wood bearing has limited applicability in modern construction assemblies with C-perpendicular to loading scenarios. Previous work has shown that end-bearing conditions and wood-on-wood...
Fracture toughness of wood and wood composites has traditionally been characterized by a stress intensity factor, an initiation strain energy release rate (G[subscript init]) or a total energy to fracture (G[subscript f]). These parameters provide incomplete fracture characterization for these materials because the toughness changes as the crack propagates. Thus...
Global sustainability goals have led to the development of the green building movement. The Green
Building Program, stemming from the movement, has had unprecedented success as it provides a quantifi able
metric to people’s efforts towards sustainable development. Sustainable development and green buildings are often
used interchangeably. Although, sustainable development...
Wood and wood-based composites are being used extensively in single-family residential dwellings. Therefore, it is important to categorize their response when exposed to elevated temperatures for a sustained period of time. In fire-resistant design for wood structures, the main goal is to ensure that enough structural integrity is maintained, during...
Wood I-joists are often left uncovered and exposed to the weather during construction, allowing the oriented strandboard and laminated veneer lumber in these systems to be adversely affected by water absorption. Manufacturers typically specify that these materials be protected from wetting, but this can be difficult in wetter climates. There...
To quantify the postpeak residual capacity and
to gain insights into the load transfer mechanism of a shear
wall, nail connection tests were performed on salvaged
connections after a monotonic shear wall test loaded up
to peak load. Experimental results reveal that there is a
loss of strength in most...
Routine inspection of wood utility poles to detect internal decay involves drilling holes at or about the ground line. While these holes are useful for detecting internal decay, their presence raises concern among engineers about their potential effects on pole flexural properties. The effect of inspection holes on flexural properties...
Wood shear walls are the main lateral force-resisting system for wood-frame construction. Water intrusion and subsequent decay around connections can significantly impact shear wall behavior, but these problems are seldom studied. In this study, effects of water intrusion and fungal attack on shear wall capacity were examined using small-scale (610-...
The effect of grain angle (GA) on shear strength of Douglas-fir has been evaluated. Shear block specimens with a GA varying from 0 to 90° was loaded in the shear plane, resulting in failure mode transitioning from parallel to grain shear to rolling shear. As expected, shear strength decreased as...
For wood beams, it is often assumed that the neutral axis (NA) is located at the centroid of the beam. This would be the case for isotropic and homogeneous materials but these prerequisites are not valid for wood. The varying grain patterns and knots located throughout wood make wood anisotropic...
Compression perpendicular to grain (C┴) of wood is an important property and has a drastic effect on serviceability of the structure. Typical C┴ loading scenarios include the bottom chord of a truss resting on the top plate of a shear wall and chords of a shear wall resting on the...
Current compression perpendicular-to-grain (C⊥) design values for wood members are based on mean stress obtained from ASTM D143 specimen. The standard ASTM test with metal on wood bearing has limited applicability in modern construction assemblies with C⊥ loading scenarios. Previous work has shown that end-bearing conditions and wood-on-wood C⊥ bearing...
Global sustainability goals have led to the development of the green building movement. The Green Building Program, stemming from the movement, has had unprecedented success as it provides a quantifiable metric to people’s efforts towards sustainable development. Sustainable development and green buildings are often used interchangeably. Although, sustainable development and...
Fracture toughness of wood and wood composites has traditionally been characterized by a stress intensity factor, an initiation strain energy release rate (G init) or a total energy to fracture (G f). These parameters provide incomplete fracture characterization for these materials because the toughness changes as the crack propagates. Thus,...
This study investigated the effect of exposure to elevated temperature on the yield strength of single-shear nail connections when subjected to lateral loading. Solid sawn lumber and laminated veneer lumber were used as framing members and two different thicknesses of both oriented strand board and plywood were used as the...
The construction industry has relied heavily on wood and wood-based composites, such as oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood for timber frame construction. Therefore, it is highly imperative to categorize the response of wood-based composites when exposed to elevated temperatures for a sustained period of time. The essence of fire-resistant...
Residential energy use is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Reducing energy efficiency in conventional wood-framed houses are thermal bridges: direct paths that allow heat to flow through the studs instead of the insulation. One suggestion for reducing thermal bridging is the staggered stud (SS) wall....
Wood and wood-based composites are being used extensively in single-family residential dwellings. Therefore, it is important to categorize their response when exposed to elevated temperatures for a sustained period of time. In fire-resistant design for wood structures, the main goal is to ensure that enough structural integrity is maintained, during...