An integrated experimental and numerical research program investigating the elastic and inelastic performance as well as the kinematic behaviour of shearwalls with openings is presented in this study. The influence of the geometrical dimensions of the wall configurations and the mechanical properties and configurations of hold-downs on both elastic and inelastic behaviours including the possible kinematic modes of the shearwalls are investigated. The research also proposes the concept of equivalent-frame-model applicable for shearwalls where openings are cut-out from CLT panels. Are also presented, five racking tests performed on full scale CLT walls in order to validate the numerical models as well as the equivalent frame model. From review of the available literature emerges that for CLT shearwalls with openings, studies are not at the same level of abundance in research compared to walls without openings, due to the simple reason that SSW is generally a widespread technique. Thus, the kinematic behaviour and the coupling effect are inexistent and presented here. The investigations of the wall’s behaviour in the elastic and inelastic ranges demonstrate the important effect of the lintel and wall segment slenderness as well as the hold-down stiffness effect on the mechanical behaviour and the global kinematic behaviour as well. It is found that the kinematic modes can change when the walls are stressed beyond their elasticity limit. The failure mode and the global ductility are highly dependent on the hold-down configurations particularly for walls with door openings. The degree of coupling decrease with increased hold-down stiffness and the wall segment width. With regards to the equivalent frame model, a reasonable fit is found between the proposed EFM and a detailed 2D area element model when the global elastic stiffness and tensile load in the hold-down were compared. The model is successfully validated through five full-scale tests on CLT shearwalls with door or window opening as well as two published studies on walls with door openings. The EFM is capable of predicting the behaviour in the wall with reasonable accuracy, especially for walls whose behaviour was dominated by the hold-down behaviour.

Purpose: This work is based on the problem with the product cross-laminated timber and its properties in the event of fire. The reason for the problem is the glue used in the product and the lack of requirements for adhesion at high temperatures. Due to this, there is a risk of delamination in the event of a fire, i.e. that the wooden slats that constitute the largest component in the CLT wood fall off during the course of the fire and contribute to extra energy. Method: The work is built up of two different methods, first a literature study and then an experiment. The literature study focuses on the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's building regulations, the production of cross-laminated timber and what happens in the event of a fire. The experiment was carried out at Fågelbacken in Västerås, where help from the rescue service was available. The informative part of the report begins with a subject reference framework where the first part consists of information about the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's requirements and ordinances that are based on the Planning and Building Act and the Planning and Building Ordinance. This study describes the experiment, everything from the application of the fire protection treatment to the design of the fire test. The materials included in the fire test are described and any certifications they hold are mentioned. The results section presents the results of the literature study and the fire test. Results: The four pieces of wood showed different results after fire, as three out of four showed cracks between the slats on the fire-affected surface. No piece of wood delaminated or had loose slats, however, the cracks are interpreted as meaning that the glue did not withstand the temperature that the fire generated, and melted. The depths of the carbon layer, on the other hand, were significantly protected by the fire protection treatment as there was a maximum difference of 7 mm between one of the fire protection-treated pieces of wood and the untreated piece of wood. The burning time of the fuel pool varied. The course of fire for the pieces that were treated with fire protection was strong with large flames and large, black smoke pillars. Conclusion: The conclusion of the thesis is that the fire protection treatment has a good effect on the depth of the carbon layer, which delays the risk of delamination. The fire protection treatment also has a good effect on the adhesive in some of the cases when no or few cracks between the slats were seen.

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.

Från slutet på 1800-talet till runt 1970-talet gjordes tennisracket i trä och då tekniken inte var så avancerad var de tunga och böjliga. På 1970-talet började dock andra material som exempelvis kolfiber användas som var styvare och gav ett lättare racket. Över tid har metoderna för tillverkningen i trä fallit i glömska vilket gör att undersökningar som denna är intressanta att utföra. Då kolfiber framställs av råolja kan materialet bli mindre attraktivt både ur ett miljö- och ekonomiskt perspektiv då oljepriserna stiger. På grund av detta har företaget Epok Tennis, som arbetet har utförts ihop med, valt att experimentera och prova sig fram i tillverkningen av racket i trä i jakt efter den mest optimala uppsättningen och konstruktionen. Kunskapsläget är dåligt inom området då studie av denna typen generellt görs på större element för användning i exempelvis bostäder och dessa består då framför allt av gran och furu. Därför är det intressant för Epok Tennis att se inverkan av olika träslag som inte vanligtvis används i balkar av i små dimensioner som är jämförbara med tennisracket.Epok Tennis har undersökt hur träracketen byggdes förr och försökt implementera tekniken moderna racket byggs, detta för att skapa en träprodukt som kan fungera lika bra som en modern racket. De viktigaste parametrarna att ta hänsyn till i arbetet var produkternas vikt, styvhet och hållfasthet. I arbetet undersöktes 21 kors- och parallellimmade balkar bestående av totalt sex nordiska träslag. Träslagen i fråga var ask, björk, bok, ek, lönn och valnöt. Sju av balkarna var korslimmade och 14 parallellimade. De korslimmade elementen varierade mellan ett och två tvärgående skikt. Två av balkarna innehöll även produkter som kolfiberduk och linnetyg vilka inte beaktades i beräkningarna men vars resultat var av intresse att analysera. Syftet med arbetet var att undersöka hur olika kombinationer av olika träfanérskivor påverkarböjstyvheten och hållfastheten för en tennisrackets konstruktion. Målet var sedermera att fastställa vilken av balkarna som har högst böjstyvhetoch hållfasthet samt ge förslag om optimal komposituppsättning. Teoretiska beräkningar samt experiment av fyrpunktsböjning utfördes på balkarna där resultaten jämfördes och analyserades. Experimenten utfördes både i balkarnas flat- och kantvisa riktning. Även densiteterna noterades för elementen då konstruktionens totala vikt i slutändan är av stor betydelse.Resultaten av studien visade att de homogena parallellimmade balkarna av björk, lönn och valnöt hade högst böjstyvhet. Vid analys av resultaten noterades att korslimning av elementen generellt försvagade dem i både flat- och kantvis riktning. Till detta ändamål kan det därför vara klokt att endast använda parallellimmade element. I resultatet redovisas även balkarnas knäcklast i kantvisa riktningen.Förekomsten av kvistar i lamellerna ansågs ha en stor inverkan på balkarnas hållfasthet. Därför bör lameller med kvistar försöka undvikas vid framställningen av ramarna till tennisracketen. I förslaget om optimal komposituppsättning har en kombination av lönn och valnöt angetts då dessa visade högst böjstyvhet med avsevärt lägre densitet än björk som dock liknande värde på böjstyvheten.Enligt resultaten av studien är slutsatserna som dragits kortfattat att korslimning generellt försvagar elementen gentemot parallellimning och att bästa komposituppsättning består av lönn och valnöt, i kombination med varandra eller var för sig. / The knowledge of creating wooden tennis rackets has been lost since the emergence of materials like carbon fibre. In this study 21 cross- and parallel laminated beams have been examined, seven of which are cross laminated and 14 parallel laminated. The wood species used were ash, beech, birch, maple, oak and walnut.The purpose of the study was to determine how different combinations of wood lamellas affect strength and stiffness of the beams in terms of bending.The goal was to determine which of the 21 beams had the highest bending stiffness and to give a recommendation of what would be the optimal composite set.Calculations and experiments of four point bending were done in the flat- and edgewise directions, the results of which were compared and analyzed.The results of the study showed that the homogenous parallel laminated beams consisting of birch, maple and walnut had the highest bending stiffness. When analyzing the results, it was found that the parallel laminated beams were generally stronger and stiffer than the cross laminated specimens, for both flat- and edgewise bending.In the recommendation of optimal construction, a combination of maple and walnut has been suggested due to them having similar bending stiffness to birch but significantly lower density.

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.