Mass Timber Beams Under Loading

This summer, I participated in a few research projects under the supervision of Dr. Woods, focusing on the load-bearing performance of mass timber structures. The projects aim to address critical gaps in understanding timber beam-column connections under loading to enhance structural safety and promote the use of sustainable building materials. I assisted in the construction and instrumentation of experimental test specimen setup (including retrofit beams from a decommissioned bridge, CLT-Steel composite beams, and curved glulam beams), executing the tests, and analyzing the resulting data. Advanced sensors like digital image correlation and distributed fiber optic sensors provided insights into the behaviour of beams. Through hands-on training in the Structures Laboratory and support in data analysis using MATLAB, I gained a deep understanding of experimental testing under loading and contributed to a collaborative effort in structural engineering.