MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF CLT AND STRUCTURAL TIMBER RAILS UNDER COMPRESSION TESTS

Prefabricated timber modules can help make the building sector more sustainable by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, structural challenges, like vertical relative deformations and the buckling of timber studs on timber rails still limit the height of tall timber buildings. These challenges are affected by how studs and rails interact. This study aims therefore to investigate this interaction by experimental tests and finite element (FE) modelling of five-layer Cross Laminated Timber and structural timber bottom rails under compression loads applied perpendicular to the rails via structural timber studs. Results from the conceptual compression tests with centric and eccentric loads show that CLT bottom rails have a much higher loading-bearing capacity compared to structural timber bottom rail. Additionally, local penetrations were observed in the contact zone between stud and rail which were included in the FE models allowing to estimate the contact stiffness.