I takt med en ökad miljömedvetenhet har träbyggnation börjat premieras allt mer och sedan lagändringen 1994 som innebar att det blev tillåtet att uppföra höga hus med trästomme har utvecklingen snabbt gått framåt. Att korsvis bygga upp skikt av brädor och sammanfoga dessa till element har visat sig skapa en produkt med hög hållfasthet och låg vikt som är idealisk som stommaterial vid byggnation av stora och höga hus i trä. Dessa element har många namn men kallas ofta korslimmat trä och kommer i arbetet benämnas CLT, cross-laminated timber. Dess användning har ökat markant i Sverige och Europa de senaste decennierna och än ses ingen stagnation på efterfrågan.   Denna rapport behandlar relevanta teoretiska områden som måste tas i beaktning vid branddimensionering som exempelvis brandförloppet i en brandcell samt hur brandsäkerhetsklasser och brandtekniska byggnadsklasser bestäms och fastställs. Dimensioneringsmetoder av laster och hållfasthet i både brottgräns och i brandfallet förklaras genomgående för skapa en tydlig bild av hela branddimensioneringsprocessen. Brist på direkt information om hur hållfastheten av resttvärsnitten ska behandlas och beräknas har gjort arbetet utmanande men med hjälp från Maija Tiainen från Sweco structures Helsingforskontor har arbetet kunnat färdigställas och bli fullständigt.   Den viktigaste delen i rapporten är dock själva inbränningen och förkolningen av elementen som beräknas med hjälp av två olika metoder. Den ena återfinns i den europeiska standarden Eurokod 5: del 1-2 och den andra, som baseras på den absolut senaste forskningen gällande träkonstruktioner och brand, är hämtad från handboken Brandsäkra trähus version 3. Den senare metoden kommer ligga till grund för en uppdatering av Eurokod 5 i framtiden.   För att kunna jämföra de två metoderna och ge en nyanserad bild av dessa valdes fyra väggtyper ut som beräknades med samma förutsättningar. Det vill säga skyddade med två lager gips och utsatta för en 90 minuters ensidig standardbrand.   Resultatet visade på skillnader mellan metoderna där en tydlig och definitiv sådan var storleken på resttvärsnittet då det icke lastupptagande skiktet, , visade sig vara mycket större i beräkningarna enligt metoden i Brandsäkra trähus version 3. På grund av elementens uppbyggnad, korsvis lagda skikt där endast vartannat skikt är lastbärande, betyder detta inte nödvändigtvis att det resulterar i en skillnad gällande bärförmåga i brandfallet mellan de två metoderna.   Trots att metoden i Brandsäkra trähus version 3 är mer konservativ gällande bärförmåga och leder till ett mindre resttvärsnitt efter brand anser författarna att denna metod bör användas i väntan på en inarbetning av metoden i Eurokoden. Detta då den till skillnad från Eurokoden är utformad och framtagen för att kunna behandla CLT och då säkerheten är viktigast i sammanhanget måste brandens ökade påverkan på materialet enligt den senaste forskningen tas på allvar och tvärsnittet dimensioneras därefter. / In recent years, a growing environmental awareness have led to an increase in timber buildings and since the 1994 amendment that made it possible to build tall houses with timber structures the progress in the field have seen an substantial increase. To build an element of perpendicularly placed layers of solid-sawn lumber have proven to be an effective way to obtain a product with good strength-to-weight ratio that is ideal for use in tall timber buildings. These elements go under a lot of different names but are often referred to as cross-laminated timber and will be called CLT in this report. The use of this product have these past decades increased substantially both in Sweden and in Europe and the demand does not seem to stagnate nor decrease in the near future.   The report is comprised of relevant theoretical sections that must be taken into account when designing a structures fire protection such as the development of a fire in fire compartment, how to define and determine a structures class of fire resistance and hence required fire protection time for said structure. The basis of design in regards to loads and compressive/flexural strength of the material is thoroughly explained in order to account for the whole fire protection design processes. The lack of information regarding compressive and flexural strength of the residual cross-section was challenging but with the help from Maija Tiainen from Sweco structures Helsinki office the report could be completed.   The most important part of the report is the theory and calculation with regards to the charring depth which is calculated by two different methods. The first one is presented in the European standard Eurocode 5: part 1-2 and the other one, that is based on the latest scientific knowledge with regards to timber structures and fire, is found in the technical guide Brandsäkra trähus version 3. The aforementioned method will form the basis for the upcoming update of Eurocode 5.   In order to be able to compare the two methods four wall types was chosen and designed based on the same conditions. Namely protected by two layers of gypsum plasterboards as fire protection and exposed to a 90 minutes one-sided standard fire.   The result showed differences between the methods where a clear difference was the size of the residual cross-section due to the fact that the zero-strength layer, , was notably larger when calculating with the method presented in Brandsäkra trähus version 3. This does not necessarily affect the elements bearing capacity when calculating with the two different methods due to the elements perpendicularly placed layers where only every other layer is load bearing.   Although the method presented in Brandsäkra trähus version 3 are more conservative with regards to bearing capacity and will lead to a smaller residual cross-section the authors of this report recommend the use of said method pending incorporation into the Eurocode. The motivation for this suggestion is that the method is designed to explicitly handle CLT and since safety is the most important aspect in this context it is vital to acknowledge the apparent increased affect from a fire on the material according to the latest scientific knowledge and design the cross-section accordingly.

The goal of this study was to assess the potential of using hardwood lumber in CLT manufacturing. The goal was achieved by addressing four specific objectives. The first objective was to collect CLT manufacturers' perspectives for using hardwood lumber in the current manufacturing setup. The second objective was to determine hardwood sawmills' current ability to produce structural grade lumber (SGHL) from low value logs as a product mix through a survey of hardwood lumber producers in the US. The third objective was to conduct a log yield study of SGHL production from yellow poplar (YP) logs to produce 6'' and 8'' width SGHL to match the PRG 320 requirements. The fourth objective was to determine CLTs' production cost using SGHL and compared it with the CLTs manufactured from southern yellow pine (SYP). The results suggest that all three CLT industries visited and interviewed had sufficient technology to produce hardwood CLTs. The production of hardwood CLTs was mainly limited by the quality and quantity of lumber available. The hardwood sawmill survey results indicated that, currently, less than 10% of the sawmills had all the resources required to produce SGHL. The current ability of the sawmills was measured based on the resources necessary to begin SGHL production. Forty percent of the sawmills would require an investment in sawing technology to saw SGHL, 70% would require employing a certified lumber grader, and 80% would require a planer to surface lumber. Another significant finding was the sawmills' willingness to collaborate with other sawmills and lumber manufacturers. More than 50% of sawmills were open to potential collaboration with other stakeholders if necessary, which is crucial to commercializing SGHL for a new market. The log yield study of yellow poplar helped demonstrate that the mixed grade lumber production method to convert lumber from lower quality zones as SGHL yields higher lumber volume for sawmills and at the same time reduces lower-grade lumber volume. On average, SGHL production increased lumber volume by more than 6% compared to only NHLA grade lumber production when 65% of the lumber was converted to SGHL. The volume of lower lumber grades from 2 common and below decreased from an average of 85% to less than 30% when producing SGHL as a product mix with NHLA grade lumber. This study observed more than 95% of SGHL as Number 3 and better lumber grades. At estimated lumber value, 2x6 and 2x8 SGHL and NHLA grade lumber production as product mix from a log generate higher revenue for all log groups except for the diameter 13" logs. A lower percentage of higher-grade lumber was observed for diameter 13’’ logs than other log groups from this experiment, which resulted in lower revenue. Production cost of CLTs was determined based on the lumber value to manufacture 40' x 10' plain panels with different combinations by lumber grade of yellow poplar and southern yellow pine lumber alone. Production cost was determined by assuming that lumber value contributes 40% of CLTs' total production cost. The 3- ply CLT panels were manufactured using S. Selects lumber in a major direction, and No 1-grade lumber in the minor direction from YP had a production cost of $662.56 per cubic meter, which cost only $643.10 when SYP lumber was used at referenced lumber value. This study concludes that CLT panels from YP cost 3-7 % more than SYP-CLTs at the referenced lumber values. / Ph.D. / This research aims to expand the hardwood lumber consumption in the US by evaluating the opportunity to manufacture cross-laminated timber (CLTs). First, CLT manufacturing industries were visited to know their current capacity to process hardwood lumber. The results suggest that all three CLT industries had sufficient technology to produce hardwood CLTs, and the production was mainly limited by the quality and quantity of lumber available. Commercially hardwood can be used in CLT manufacturing if it can be used for structural application. Hardwood lumber must meet the structural application's minimum requirements to manufacture the structural grade CLTs, so we surveyed the hardwood sawmills to know if they have the required resources to manufacture the structural grade hardwood lumber (SGHL). Only ten percent of the sawmills had required technology to produce SGHL without additional investments. Production of the SGHL also required to generate more revenue for the hardwood sawmills, so we conducted the log yield study to know how the revenue structure of sawmill operation will change from the mixed grade lumber production. At estimated lumber value, 2x6 and 2x8 SGHL and 1-inch National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) grade lumber production as product mix from logs generate higher revenue for all log groups except for the diameter 13" logs. Finally, the production cost of SGHL from the log yield study was evaluated and used to produce CLTs at 40% production cost from lumber at 15% profit margins for sawmills and compare with southern yellow pines CLTs. The results indicate that yellow poplar CLTs cost 3-7 % more than southern yellow pines CLTs at the referenced lumber values. This study concludes that hardwood lumber can be used in CLT manufacturing, so there is an opportunity for hardwood sawmills to expand the market. The first step for commercial production of hardwood CLTs is to produce SGHL on a commercial scale, given that sawmills can benefit from these new products in the current lumber market and meet the minimum requirements of the CLT raw materials.

Träbyggandet har ökat drastiskt sedan år 1994 då den Europeiska unionen (EU) införskaffade ett byggproduktdirektiv, idag numera ersatt med byggproduktförordningen CPR, Construction Products Regulation. Från att träbyggandet tidigare främst inkluderat bostadsbyggande kan nu även föreskrivna funktioner godkännas för högre byggnader. Trämaterialets förmåga att binda koldioxid och utveckling av korslimmat trä, förkortat KL-trä, är två bidragande faktorer till att trä idag är ett uppmärksammat byggmaterial. Mer användning av trä i höga byggnader kan dock, på grund av dess låga vikt och styvhet, medföra känsligheter mot dynamisk vindpåverkan vilket kan vara en avgörande faktor vid dimensionering. Förhöjda accelerationsnivåer är en konsekvens av de dynamiska lasterna vilket som påföljd kan ha en negativ effekt på brukarna av byggnaden. I följande examensarbete studeras denna problematik för en standardiserad byggnad. Syftet med examensarbete är att undersöka hur implementering och användning av trä i en hög byggnad påverkar byggnadens dynamiska respons och koldioxidutsläpp. Studien fokuserar på att undersöka hur accelerationsnivåerna ser ut vid användning av konstruktionssystem som är helt eller delvis av trä samt vilket förändrat klimatavtryck detta medför jämfört med en standardiserad betongbyggnad. I första delen av fallstudien studeras accelerationsnivåerna för olika alternativa konstruktionssystem där majoriteten av stabiliseringen nyttjas genom stabiliserande skivor internt och externt i byggnaden. I fallstudiens andra del används resultaten från första delen för att iterativt skapa en modell med lägst möjliga koldioxidavtryck och som samtidigt uppfyller acceptabla accelerationsnivåer enligt ISO 10137. De studerade strukturerna modelleras upp i Finita Element programvaran FEM-Design 20 utifrån en framtagen grundmodell baserad på tidigare litteraturstudie. I programvaran utförs en modalanalys för att erhålla egenfrekvenser och svängningsmoder för de studerade strukturerna. Med dessa ingångsvärden beräknas accelerationsnivåerna för samtliga strukturer enligt riktlinjer i EKS11 och SS-EN 1991-1-4 samt jämförs med acceptabla accelerationsnivåer i ISO 10137. Med erhållna resultat används en iterativ process för att ta fram en struktur med minsta möjliga koldioxidavtryck. Klimatavtrycket jämförs med den standardiserade betongbyggnaden genom att beräkna och jämföra mängden koldioxidekvivalenter.  Resultatet visar att det är mest fördelaktigt att nyttja intern stabilisering för att erhålla högre egenfrekvenser och lägre accelerationsnivåer. Strukturer som nyttjar extern stabilisering visar förhöjda accelerationsnivåer med   jämfört med intern stabilisering. Dock visar användning av intern stabilisering att det är större sannolikhet att erhålla roterande svängningar som första svängningsmod, detta innebär att de stabiliserande väggarna bör adderas till strukturen med försiktighet. Användning av kombinerad intern- och extern stabilisering visar ingen påtaglig fördel, dock visar resultatet att sammanhängande skivor som bildar en stabiliserande kärna bidrar till en markant ökning i byggnadens styvhet. Den modell som tagits fram med minst klimatavtryck har ett pelar-balksystem i limträ med KL-träskivor i bjälklag och som stabilisering i byggnadens centrala delar. Beräkning av byggnadernas koldioxidavtryck visar en reduktion på  , störst reduktion fås för bjälklagen. / Since year 1994, timber construction has increased dramatically due to that the European Union (EU) acquired a construction product directive, later replaced by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Timber construction has previously mainly included housing construction but is nowadays also used for high-rise buildings, this due to that the prescribed properties now can be approved for taller buildings. Two contributing factors to making timber a popular building material is its ability to bind carbon dioxide and the development of cross-laminated timber. On the other hand, using more timber in high-rise buildings can lead to sensitivities to dynamic wind loading due to its low weight and stiffness. This can be a decisive factor during design. Increased acceleration levels are a consequence of the dynamic loading which can have a negative effect on the users of the building. In following thesis this problem is studied for a standardized building. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how implementation and the use of timber in high-rise buildings affects the building’s dynamic response and carbon dioxide emissions. The main focus is to study how the acceleration levels vary when using construction systems entirely or partly of timber and what carbon footprint this entails, compared to a standardized concrete building. In the first part of the case study, the acceleration levels for different construction systems are studied, where the majority of the stabilization is used internally and externally in the building. In the second part of the case study, the results from the first part are used to iteratively produce a model that have the lowest possible carbon footprint, as well as acceptable requirements regarding acceleration levels is achieved according to ISO 10137. The studied structures are modeled in the Finite Element software FEM-Design 20 based on a base model from a literature study. A modal analysis is performed in the software to obtain natural frequencies and mode shapes for the studied structures. With these input values, the acceleration levels can be calculated according to the guidelines in EKS 11 and SS-EN 1991-1-4, and then compared with acceptable acceleration levels in ISO 10137. With the results obtained, an iterative process is used to make a model with lowest possible carbon footprint. Lastly, the carbon footprint is compared with the standardized concrete building by calculating and comparing the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents.  The results show that it is most beneficial to use internal stabilization in order to obtain higher natural frequencies and lower acceleration levels. Structures using external stabilization show increased acceleration levels by   compared to internal stabilization. However, the use of internal stabilization shows that rotational mode shapes are more likely to be obtained as the first mode shape, this means that the stabilizing walls should be added to the structure with caution. The use of a combination of both internal and external stabilization shows no significant improvements. However, the results show that continuous walls forming a central core contributes to a significant increased stiffness for the structure, compared to separately placed walls. The final model with the lowest possible carbon footprint has a column-beam system in glulam with cross-laminated timber in the floors, and as stabilization in the central parts of the building (core). Calculation of the building’s carbon footprint shows a reduction of  , the largest reduction is achieved in the floors.

This thesis is mainly focused on the seismic behaviour of cross laminated timber (CLT) buildings. The document can be subdivided into three main sections closely related to each other. In the first part, after a short introduction on the state of the art on timber buildings regarding the constructive and legislative issues, the behaviour of CLT buildings is presented. The research is focused on the study on single shear-walls, on the multi-storey single-walls and on the behaviour of the whole buildings. The analyses are performed in order to assess the ductility level achievable by a CLT building as a result of different choices for the ductility of the connections at the foundation level. In order to estimate the ductility level, a large number of non-linear analyses were performed. This was possible thanks to a Matlab code, specifically developed, which allowed to reduce the computational burden. The results are used to evaluate a reliable set of behaviour factors to be applied in the seismic design of CLT buildings. In the second part of thesis, the low-cyclic fatigue strengths for different typologies of dissipative timber connections are presented. The low-cyclic fatigue strength represents a key-parameter in the assessment of the seismic behaviour of timber connections. In fact, high values of ductility associated with low values of strength degradation ensure a remarkable and reliable energy dissipation without a significant loss of strength. Despite the current version of chapter 8 of Eurocode 8 requires specific values of seismic demand for timber connections in terms of low-cyclic fatigue strength, no specific provision is reported to this regard in the European Standard for the cycling testing of timber connections and assemblage in seismic design (EN 12512). In This Standard the ductility capacity and the impairment of strength are calculated as separate mechanical parameters. For this reason, a proposal of revision of European Standard EN12512 is presented and discussed. The third and last part of the thesis describes an innovative connection for CLT buildings. This innovative connection was originally developed in order to absorb both traction and shear actions. Furthermore, a good performance has been obtained in terms of low-cyclic fatigue strength and ductility, with the aim of conceiving a connection able of satisfy the requirements of the current seismic European Standard. The design of this new connection was an iterative process, starting from some simplified numerical models. After some improvements, it was possible to obtain the expected performance levels. The strength and rigidity of the designed connection were initially obtained through numerical analysis, and then compared with the results of physical tests carried out in the Materials and Structures Testing Laboratory (MSTL), that is a part of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM) of the University of Trento.

The background to the study is the construction industry's global environmental impact. In this study, it is investigated whether CLT (cross laminated timber) and sheep wool insulation is a building technology alternative in an exterior wall based on today’s building standards. To find out if CLT and sheep wool insulation are an alternative for an external wall construction, a literature study and hand calculations were carried out. The literature study summarizes regulations from Boverket BFS 2020:4 regarding moisture, fire, energy and sound requirements. In order to assess how an external wall made of CLT and sheep wool insulation works, three different external wall constructions were developed. Hand calculations were used to determine the heat transfer coefficient and relative vapor of the wall proposals. The results from the calculations show that all wall proposals work with regard to moisture and thermal comfort. Both sheep wool and CLT have a high specific heat capacity, but the volumetric heat capacity and the location of the material determines whether it affects the indoor environment. The study shows that the fire properties of sheep wool mean that the placement of the sheep wool insulation is decisive for whether the wall will be fireproof or not. Calculations of penetration depth in case of fire for CLT show that CLT is a suitable material from a fire point of view. The design flexibility of CLT means that the construction can be adapted so that the sound insulation requirements are met for buildings with special requirements. 54% of the sheep wool produced in Sweden is discarded, according to calculations, the discarded sheep wool can insulate external walls for approx. 11% of the detached houses produced annually. A study was conducted on whether wool can cause allergies, the information does not indicate that sheep wool insulation can cause allergies. The study concludes that combining sheep wool insulation with CLT is possible however the use of CLT is more justified in a multi-storey house than a single-family house. / Bakgrunden till studien är byggbranschens globala miljöpåverkan. I den här studien utreds det om KL-trä (korslimmat trä) och fårullsisolering är ett byggnadstekniskt alternativ i en yttervägg utifrån dagens byggnadsstandard. För att ta reda på om KL-trä och fårullsisolering är ett alternativ för en ytterväggskonstruktion genomfördes en litteraturstudie och handberäkningar. Litteraturstudien sammanfattar föreskrifter från Boverkets byggregler BFS 2020:4 gällande fukt-, brand-, energi- och ljudkrav. För att bedöma hur en yttervägg uppbyggd av KL-trä och fårullsisolering fungerar togs tre olika ytterväggskonstruktioner fram. Med handberäkningar bestämdes väggförslagens värmegenomgångskoefficient och relativa ånghalt. Resultatet från beräkningarna visar att samtliga väggförslag fungerar med avseende på fukt och termisk komfort. Både fårull och KL-trä har hög specifik värmekapacitet men materialets volymetriska värmekapacitet och placering avgör om den påverkar inomhusmiljön. Studien visar att fårullens brandegenskaper gör att placeringen av fårullsisoleringen är avgörande för om väggen blir brandsäker eller inte. Beräkningar av inträngningsdjup vid brand för KL-trä visar att KL-trä är ett lämpligt material ur brandsynpunkt. Designflexibliteten hos KL-trä gör att konstruktionen kan anpassas så att ljudisoleringskraven uppnås för byggnader med särskilda krav. 54% av den i Sverige producerade fårullen kasseras, enligt beräkningar kan den kasserade fårullen isolera ytterväggar i ca. 11% av småhusen som produceras årligen. Det gjordes en undersökning om ull kan framkalla allergi, informationen tyder inte på att fårullsisolering kan orsaka allergi.  Studien kommer fram till att kombinera fårullsisolering med KL-trä är möjligt och att användande av KL-trä är mer motiverat i ett flervåningshus än ett småhus.

Housing in prosperous American cities is becoming increasingly expensive, forcing many municipal governments to re-evaluate how they will continue to serve lower-income residents and ensure equitable access to housing and resources. In the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Re-Development and Housing Authority (ARHA) has worked in recent years to partner with private developers to convert its existing stock of low-density, designated-affordable housing into more dense, mixed-income communities. This is possible because many of its existing communities sit on land in now-prime locations where the City currently allows the most density, as well as bonus density through a variety of mechanisms. While these projects have succeeded to some extent, the City is unfortunately still seeing a rapid rise in rents accompanied by a rapid decrease in available affordable housing of all types, in both privately-developed and publicly-subsidized communities. Increasing income disparity is also simultaneously driving lower-income to middle-class residents to suburban and exurban sites where limited access to municipal resources and public transportation can be highly detrimental to quality of life. While additional density is the knee-jerk response to many of affordability's challenges, often the resulting built solutions seem incomplete – achieving the basic goal of housing more residents, but failing to build thriving and diverse communities that connect people the way previous communities may have. After all, the pragmatics of building generally point towards maximizing square footage, monetary return, and speed of delivery by using conventional and commonly-accepted solutions, with less energy given to resident outcomes, and how people might be affected by the change to their living environments and communities. As Jan Gehl and Jane Jacobs examined in Cities for People and The Death and Life of Great American Cities respectively, simple pragmatics do not make for livable environments. A truly humanist approach to design for living in cities requires not only good policy, practice, and engagement, but also architectural strategies that respond to how humans relate to each other and their surroundings. Convergence explores how designers can contribute to making urban housing better for everyone by addressing housing affordability, person-to-person interaction, and community engagement in increasingly-dense environments. Its primary objectives are: • Encouraging neighborliness by increasing chance encounters as well as reducing the sharp threshold between private and public space often found in apartment-style buildings. • Increasing the visibility of human activity to the street in a multi-floor, multi-family project. • Using new mass timber methods and modularity to improve initial building construction and cost while also incorporating sustainable practices to reduce resource use and operating cost. • Anticipating that modification and reconfiguration will be required in the future, and offering defined parameters to simplify that process. • Creating a variety of unit sizes while also offering future flexibility to respond to changing community needs. • Combining the familiar with the novel to connect the new community to its surroundings, bridge experiences, and manage change. / Master of Architecture / In the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Re-Development and Housing Authority (ARHA) owns several affordable housing sites in desirable locations that it has been working to convert into more dense, mixed-income housing in partnership with private developers. While these projects have succeeded to some extent, housing in the City continues to become increasingly expensive, and wages for low-income and lower-middle class residents are not keeping pace with the increase in cost of living. This phenomenon is pushing many long-time and/or lower-wage residents to the suburbs and exurbs, limiting access to municipal resources and public transportation, and reducing quality of life. As a result, communities and families with long histories in the City are breaking apart and dispersing. Many advocates, policymakers, designers, and developers have turned to additional density as the most immediate response to these concerns. However, additional density isn’t enough; new buildings may house more people, but fail to address the other aspects of building thriving and diverse communities that connect people the way previous communities may have. Good housing and good communities need more than square footage, so it is time to look beyond conventional solutions. New approaches are needed to respond to how people are affected by changes to their living environments and communities, and create the kinds of positive outcomes that should be part of any new housing project. Therefore, if we want to design for living in cities, we have to have good policies, practices, and engagement, but we also need architectural strategies that respond to how humans relate to each other and their surroundings. Convergence explores how designers can contribute to making urban housing better for everyone by addressing housing affordability, person-to-person interaction, and community engagement in increasingly-dense environments. Its primary objectives are: • Encouraging neighborliness by increasing chance encounters as well as reducing the sharp threshold between private and public space often found in apartment-style buildings. • Increasing the visibility of human activity to the street in a multi-floor, multi-family project. • Using new mass timber methods and modularity to improve initial building construction and cost while also incorporating sustainable practices to reduce resource use and operating cost. • Anticipating that modification and reconfiguration will be required in the future, and offering defined parameters to simplify that process. • Creating a variety of unit sizes while also offering future flexibility to respond to changing community needs. • Combining the familiar with the novel to connect the new community to its surroundings, bridge experiences, and manage change.

In Sweden housing shortage is a rising issue. Within a ten year period scientists predict that the Swedish population will increase from 10 to approximately 11 million people. Due to this increase in the Swedish population, the production of multi-dwelling buildings should be expanding, though instead building development is now decreasing. The Swedish government recently stated upon a climate strategy, to have no excessive emissions of greenhouse gases until the year of 2045. Regarding this climate strategy and the increasing need for housing, the need to build time-efficient, low cost buildings that have minimal environmental impact is in a greater demand than ever before. The purpose of this degree project is to elucidate the environmental effects, costs and assembly time for multi-dwelling buildings with prefabricated wooden and concrete frames. The study, based on literature and interviews, displays that prefabricated cross-laminated timber frames are more expensive than prefabricated concrete frames. However, choosing a timber frame does not necessarily result in a higher production cost compared to a concrete frame. Due to the dehydration time with concrete frames, wooden frames are almost 20 % more time efficient to assemble. Although wooden frames take less time to assemble, they often need more post-production work to withhold quality demands in comparison to concrete frames. The difference in environmental effect between the two materials is significant. Wood is an organic and renewable material and therefore has a low environmental impact. Concrete, which is a non-renewable material, has a higher environmental impact because of its cement component. Today 90 % of the newly developed multi-dwelling buildings are constructed with concrete. To reach the climate strategy in 2045, an increase of wooden constructions is one solution to lower the greenhouse gas emissions. Regarding that most of today’s construction building companies are using concrete as their primary frame material, this way of construction will have to change. Due to this future change, a decisionmaking model for selecting framework material has been developed. The model aims to guide clients and construction companies in an early process to get a first indication on what type of material that would be most beneficial to use in a project. The model is based on three different key factors; environmental effect, investment cost and time. When using the model, these key factors will be compared to each other and prioritized in a hierarchy setting. The outcome specifies the most preferable material to use in a project.

Syfte: Nya svenska energikrav definieras som nära-nollbyggnader för både nybyggnation och renovering, där man strävar efter en årlig balans mellan ingående och utgående energi för byggnaden. Påbyggnad genom prefabricerade modulsystem med bärande väggar av korslimmat massivträ har genom internationella studier visat sig både tids- och kostnadseffektiv vid renovering. Målet med rapporten är att undersöka möjligheten att tillämpa detta påbyggnadssystem för svenska renoveringsprojekt av efterkrigstidens flerbostadshus som både är kostnadseffektivt och som klarar nya svenska energikrav. Metod: Rapporten syftar till att besvara frågeställningarna genom en fallstudie. Inledningsvis, under en litteraturstudie, beskrivs incitament till påbyggnation vid renovering. Utefter en dokumentanalys av referensbyggnaden, utförs sedan energi- och kostnadsjämförelser mellan påbyggnation av korslimmade massivträväggar och platsbyggd träregelkonstruktion. Resultat: Svenska efterkrigstidens bostadsbestånd visar sig, via renovering och påbyggnation, ha hög potential för att positiv påverka den i Sverige genomsnittliga specifika energianvändningen samtidigt som det erbjuder snabb och kostnadseffektiv urban bostadsförtätning. Den värmeisolerande förmågan för korslimmat massivträ är, för en påbyggnad, likvärdigt det av platsbyggd träkonstruktion. Beräkningarna visar däremot hur byggnation från efterkrigstiden har svårt att uppnå krav för nära-nollenergihus. Kostnad för montering av påbyggnadsstomme och innerväggar m.m. visar på ca 2,7 % besparing för förslag av korslimmat massivträ. Konsekvenser: Rapporten lyfter fram möjligheterna kring renovering av svenska flerbostadshus från efterkrigstiden och fördelarna att göra detta i kombination med påbyggnation. Det finns goda förutsättningar för implementering av korslimmade massivträväggar även i svenska påbyggnadsprojekt och detta till något lägre pris och arbetstid gentemot platsbyggd konstruktion. Trots att detta vilar mycket på valet av prefabricering, har undersökningen lyckats exponera ett befogat alternativ för påbyggnadsprojekten i framtiden. Eventuella svårigheter i att uppnå nya energikrav vid renovering av äldre bostadsbestånd har även lyfts fram i rapporten. Begränsningar: Kontroll av bärförmåga för referensbyggnaden via konstruktionsmässiga beräkningar genomförs inte i denna rapport. Beräkning av livscykelkostnad ingår inte i detta arbete. Rapporten fokuserar istället på ekonomisk effektivitet i produktionsskedet. Rapporten fokuserar sin undersökning kring åtgärder för energianvändning och berör inte eventuella åtgärder för t.ex. högre tillgänglighet. / Purpose: New Swedish energy requirements are defined as Near Zero Energy Buildings for both new construction and renovation, with the purpose of balancing energy entering and exiting the building. Vertical attic extensions through prefabricated module system containing loadbearing walls of cross laminated timber has, by international studies, shown the potential for time and cost efficiency during renovation projects. The purpose of this inquiry is to examine the possibility to apply this extension system for Swedish renovation projects on post-war residential buildings that are both cost effective and that satisfies new Swedish energy regulations. Method: The report aims to answer the questions through a case study. Initially a literature study describes the incentives of vertical attic extensions and renovation. Then through a document analysis of a reference building, energy and cost comparisons are carried out between an attic extension of cross laminated timber and wood construction assembled on site. Findings: The Swedish post-war housing stock shows high potential through renovation and attic extension, to positively influence the Swedish average specific energy use while simultaneously providing fast and cost effective urban densification. The heat insulating performance of cross laminated timber is, for an attic extension, equivalent that of an on-site assembled wood construction. However, calculations shows difficulties for post-war housing stock to achieve the requirements for Near Zero Energy Buildings. The cost for assembling extending structure and interior walls etc. reveals approximately 2,7 % savings with cross laminated timber. Implications: The report brings forth the possibilities regarding renovation of the Swedish post-war stock of multifamily housing and the advantages of doing so in combination with vertical attic extensions. There are good conditions for implementation of cross laminated timber walls even in Swedish extension projects, while having the potential to lower costs slightly and saving time in relation to on site construction. Even though the results depend a lot on the choice of prefabrication, the study has exposed a valid alternative for future attic extension projects. The report also reveals potential difficulties in achieving new energy requirements for renovation of older housing stock. Limitations: Verification of load capacity through constructional calculations are not performed in this inquiry. Calculating the life-cycle cost is not a part of this project, which instead focuses on economic efficiency during production. The report focuses its research at energy-saving measures and doesn’t concern measures regarding for example higher accessibility.

I Sverige finns en lång tradition att byggande med materialet trä men det är främst av småhus som byggts. Flerbostadshusmarknaden har länge dominerats av materialen betong och stål men med dagens syn på hållbart byggande har byggnationen av trä blivit allt mer eftertraktat. Men det finns fortfarande en del utmaningar med att bygga höga hus i trä. Med ökade antal våningar så ökar lasterna och ett problem vid byggande av höga hus med träregelstomme är stämpeltrycket på syllen. Vid för hög belastning på syllen deformeras denna vilket kan inverka på stommens stabilitet och bärförmåga. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka om en syll av korslimmat trä kan förbättra förutsättningarna för att bygga höghus med träregelstomme. I arbetet jämförs stämpeltrycket för två olika varianter av syllar med KL-trä samt med en traditionell syll. Dimensionen på syllarna är 120 x 45 mm och virkesklass C24. Idén är att utnyttja KL-träets korsande fiberriktningar för att uppnå en högre tryckhållfasthet. Vid genomförda experimentella försök mäts tryckkraft, förskjutning och töjningar av syllarna som belastades av en hydraulisk press och analyserade med hjälp av ett beröringsfritt mätsystem. Tre olika beräkningsmodeller för syll av KL-trä är framtagna och jämförs med resultatet från experimentet. Resultatet visar på att en syll av KL-trä har en betydligt högre tryckhållfasthet än en traditionell syll. Detta ger goda förutsättningar för att bygga höga hus med träregelstomme. / In Sweden, there is a long tradition of building timber structures mainly for the small-house market. The multi-dwelling housing market has for long been dominated by building materials such as concrete and steel, but with today's preferences of sustainable construction materials, wood has become increasingly sought after. But there are still some challenges in building tall houses in wood. With increased number of floors, the loads increase and a problem when building high-rise buildings with wooden stud and rails system is the compression perpendicular to the grain in the bottom rail. When the bottom rail is loaded deformation occurs, which can affect the stability and bearing capacity of the structure. The aim with this bachelor thesis is to investigate whether a cross-laminated timber rail can improve the preconditions for building tall buildings with by use of timber frame. Compression perpendicular to two different CLT rails will be compared to a traditional one. The dimensions of the bottom rails are 120 x 45 mm and strength class C24. The idea is to utilize the CLT intersecting fiber directions to achieve a higher compressive strength. In the experiment, compressive force, displacement and elongation of the bottom rails are measured by means of a hydraulic press and a contact-free camera based measuring system. Three different calculation models for the CLT sills have been developed and compared with the results of the experiment. The result shows that a CLT rail has two to three times higher compressive strength compared to a traditional rail. This suggests a solution to the challenge with high compressive stresses in the rail.

På senare tid har intresset för och viljan att bygga flerbostadshus i trä ökat och medfört en trend att bygga allt högre hus med stomme av trä. En aktör är Lindbäcks Bygg som bygger flerbostadshusi trä med volymelement och lätt regelstomme. Idag begränsas dock möjligt antal våningar med regelstomme till 6 – 8 våningar. Ett relativt nytt material inom träbyggnadstekniken är korslimmat trä (KL-trä) vars användning gjort det möjligt att bygga högre byggnader i trä. Examensarbetets syfte är att studera olika lösningar för hur Lindbäcks regelstomme kan förstärkas med KL-trä, vilket kan göra det möjligt att bygga allt högre flerbostadshus i trä. Samt att jämföra denna lösning med den idag använda regelstommen utan KL-trä. Studien har avgränsats till att enbart behandla ytterväggar. För att uppskatta rimliga laster på ytterväggar i en flervåningsbyggnad togs en principbyggnad (ihopsatt av ett antal volymelement) fram. I beräkningar tillämpades ett antal olika ytterväggstyper, en med den idag användaregelstommen (referensvägg) samt fem med regelstomme i kombination med KL-skivor i olika tjocklekar. För principbyggnaden kontrollerades genom beräkningar hur högt det är möjligt att bygga vid tillämpning av vardera ytterväggstyp. De olika ytterväggstyperna med KL-trä jämfördes även med referensytterväggen utifrån U-värde samt kostnad. Idag används KL-trä ibland av Lindbäcks och då som stabiliserande väggar. I deras fabriker tillämpas en lösning där KL-träskivorna fälls in mellan syll och hammarband tillsammans med reglarna. Beräkningar har visat att det, för principbyggnaden, med denna lösning är möjligt att bygga maximalt 2 våningar högre jämfört med referensytterväggen, detta för den bästa av ytterväggstypernaförstärkta med KL-trä. Det som begränsar ett högre antal våningar är trycket vinkelrätt fiberriktningen på syllen under KL-skivorna. Beräkningar visar att det finns en potential att med regelstomme förstärkt med KL-trä kunna bygga ännu högre om en annan lösning används där KL-träskivorna placeras på utsidan av syll, hammarband och reglar istället för infälld mellan syll och hammarband. Med denna lösning undviks tryck vinkelrätt fiberriktningen på syll under KL-skivor och KL-skivans kapacitet kan utnyttjas effektivare då normalkraftskapaciteten för själva skivan blir den begränsande faktorn för hur högt det går att bygga. Enligt beräkningar är det, för principbyggnaden, med denna lösning möjligt att bygga uppemot 8 våningar högre än med referensytterväggen. När KL-trä används i stommen ökar energiförlusterna genom väggen, dvs. U-värdet ökar, då reglar med mellanliggande isolering ersätts av KL-trä med sämre värmeledningsförmåga. Enligt beräkningar uppskattas U-värdet öka jmf. med för referensyttervägg, detta med ca. 20 – 40 % beroende på ytterväggstyp. Ökningen kan dock begränsas till ca. 0,4 – 14 % genom införande av ett 45 mm installationsskikt med isolering på väggens insida. Även kostnaden för ytterväggstyper med regelstomme förstärkt med KL-trä uppskattas öka jmf. med uppskattad kostnad för referensyttervägg. Detta med uppskattningsvis 40 – 50 %, vilket till huvudsak är en följd av ökad materialkostnad för KL-skivor som delvis ersätter reglar med mellanliggande isolering. / Today there is an increased interest in building taller buildings with timber. Lindbäcks Bygg is one of companies that uses modular construction with light timber stud frames. However, a problem with light timber frames is that the building height is limited to roughly 6 - 8 stories. A relatively new product in timber engineering is cross laminated timber (CLT) and the use of this product have made it possible to build taller timber buildings. The purpose of this study is to investigate different solutions for how Lindbäcks can strengthen their stud frames by using CLT and thereby build taller buildings. The difference with respect to U-value and cost between the walls strengthened width CLT and the typical stud frame wall, that is used today, is also studied. The study has been limited to exterior walls only. A multi-storey building consisting of several modules/volume elements has been used to estimate reasonable loads on the exterior walls. Different wall types, one with the ordinary stud frame (the reference wall) and five types of stud walls strengthened with different thicknesses of CLT, have been investigated. The maximal number of storeys that can be build, the U-value and the cost were determined by calculations for each of the studied wall types and were compared with the results for the reference wall. Today, Lindbäcks Bygg sometimes uses CLT for stabilizing walls. In their factories, they use a solution in which the CLT-plate is placed between the top and bottom plate together with the studs. According to the calculations it is, with this solution, possible to build up to 2 storeys higher then with the reference wall. The limiting factor for how high it is possible to build, is compression perpendicular to the grain on the bottom plate underneath the CLT-plate. If a solution where the CLT-plate is placed on the outside of the frame (consisting of studs, top and bottom plate) is used instead of between the top and bottom plate does the calculations show that a higher number of storeys is possible. With this solution, the compression perpendicular to the grain underneath the CLT-plate is avoided and the limiting factor is instead the compression strength of the CLT-plate. This means that the CLT can be used more efficiently. Calculations show that it is possible to build up to 8 storeys higher with this solution compared to what is possible with the reference wall. With CLT increases the energy losses through the wall, i.e. increased U-value, since studs with insulation in between is partially replaced with CLT that has worse thermal conductivity. According to the calculations, the U-value is 20 – 40 % higher (depending on the wall type) compared to the reference wall. The increase in U-value can be limited to 0.4 – 14 % by adding an extra layer with 45 mm insulation on the inside of the CLT-plate. The cost for the wall types strengthened with CLT is also higher compared to the estimated cost for the reference wall. The main reason for this is increased cost of materials since the studs with insulation in between is partially replaced with the more expensive CLT, which is an engineered wood product. The increase in cost is estimated to roughly 40 – 50 % of the cost for the reference wall.