This thesis consists of three manuscripts related to the methodology of evaluating charring behavior in cross laminated lumber panel specimens subjected to fire performance tests on cross-laminated lumber panel specimens. The topic of the first manuscript is the measurement of char rates of unprotected CLT layups fabricated with ponderosa pine...
With growing interest in mass timber, especially mass timber panels (MTP), there has been a need to better understand their structural properties. One of the most versatile uses for MTP are as floor systems. Under new code provisions, these floors can be utilized in new and taller building types, but...
Restoration programs effectively prevent or mitigate wildfires and pest outbreaks in the forest lands. The most common approach is to selectively harvest smaller and dead trees in order to preserve larger and superior trees. Ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, (PP) lumber is one of the common species harvested from restoration programs...
Post-tensioned (PT) self-centering shear walls were designed to reduce structural damage from seismic activity. However, these lateral force resistant systems experience post-tension loss negatively affecting the re-centering capability due to delayed deformations experienced by engineered wood products over time. The long-term mechanical response of mass-timber panels to in-plane PT loads...
Accelerated weathering (AW) tests have become a requirement for many wood composite products. This project monitored temperature and moisture content of specimens undergoing AW exposure for the following standards: ASTM D3434 (automatic boil test), CSA O112.9 (boil-dry-freeze), and PS2 (Section 7.17, 6-cycle VPS). Each AW procedure was conducted with three...
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is revolutionizing the use of wood in the construction sector of North America as a solution for walls and diaphragms in mid-rise or even high-rise timber structures on account of its environmental advantages, high strength-to-weight ratio, fire-safety performance, and propensity for prefabrication. However, considering the hygroscopic nature...
Dimensional stability of wood-based composites with changing moisture content remains an important challenge in the industry for many applications. Wood modification technologies have shown significant improvement in dimensional stability by altering the chemistry of the wood substrate, or by filling the available space in the wood microstructure that otherwise would...
As mass-timber building construction rises around the globe, there exists the need to verify the long-term, in-situ behavior and performance of these structural systems. Structural health monitoring (SHM), generally defined as a damage detection strategy consisting of a network of sensors, a data acquisition system, and algorithms for data analysis,...
The safety of coastal infrastructure has been a concern after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and the Great East Japan Tsunami in 2011. The western coast of the United States is also exposed to tsunami hazards due to the Cascadia subduction zone. Therefore, it is critical to design coastal...
Using plant fibers as a potential renewable material to substitute for glass fibers in fiber-reinforced polymer composites has been growing since the late 1990s. Due to high demand, there has been a shift towards ‘green concept’ material in many applications. Numerous secondary plant fibers have been explored as a source...