Interlocking Cross Laminated Timber (ICLT) wall panels are a new wood construction product similar to Cross Laminated Timber panels. Besides being an innovative structural system, they also utilize beetle killed timber from many of the forests that have been devastated by the Mountain Pine Beetle. Three tests were performed on three ply ICLT panels measuring 8 feet (2.44m) wide, 8 feet (2.44m) tall and 8.5 inches (21.6cm) thick to determine the racking, flexural and axial strengths of the wall panels. After each test was performed the walls were disassembled and investigated for cause of failure. Using the data from the tests as a benchmark, simple analytical models to predict the design capacities of the walls for racking, flexural, and axial strengths were established. The analytical models for racking strength, flexural strength and axial strength predicted reasonably well the measured strength values. Additional testing is necessary to increase the available database, further validate the analytical models developed, better understand the structural performance of ICLT panels, and establish acceptable design methodology for ICLT wall panels.

Les projets de construction sont aujourd'hui confrontés à des défis importants pour réduire la grande quantité d'énergie employée quotidiennement pour les utilisations tels que le chauffage, l'électricité et l'eau chaude dans les bâtiments résidentiels et commerciaux, en particulier en Europe. De nombreux règlements de construction encouragent l'utilisation des matériaux biosourcés puisqu’ils semblent avoir des propriétés physiques supérieures en terme d'efficacité énergétique dans le secteur de la construction. L'utilisation de matériaux à faible teneur en carbone dans des structures telles que le béton de chanvre améliore le niveau d'isolation ainsi que l'absorption acoustique et diminue le poids de la structure du bâtiment, car ce matériau naturel fournit un agrégat à faible densité. Cette étude concerne le comportement mécanique de murs en bois, réalisés avec des planches croisées en bois CLT et des murs à panneaux d’OSB, sous l’effet de forces horizontales de cisaillement. Une approche théorique a été proposée pour prédire la performance latérale de la paroi CLT par rapport aux charges latérales ainsi qu’une comparaison entre les résultats théoriques et expérimentaux a été effectuée. Des essais expérimentaux ont été réalisés sur des murs de bois ayant deux formes différentes pour étudier et mettre en évidence les paramètres qui affectent significativement la résistance latérale du béton de chanvre en tant que matériau de remplissage. Des montants verticaux et des éléments de contreventement diagonaux de 2,5 mètres de hauteur et 1,25 mètres de largeur soumis à une compression ont été réalisés dans cette étude . Les résultats ont montré que le béton de chanvre apporte une légère contribution contre les charges latérales dans les murs verticaux de 1,25 mètres de largeur, ce qui signifie qu'une diminution de la largeur du mur de bois diminue significativement la contribution du béton de chanvre contre les charges latérales. Trois murs en bois de différentes longueurs (1,2 mètres, 1,6 mètres et 2,4 mètres) remplis de béton de chanvre ont été étudiés numériquement dans cette étude. D'après les résultats numériques, il était évident que la largeur du mur en bois joue un rôle principal dans la résistance latérale du béton de chanvre : lorsque la largeur du mur augmente, la résistance latérale du béton de chanvre s’accroît considérablement. De plus, le contact et la liaison entre le chanvre et les montants en bois affectent totalement la capacité de la résistance latérale du béton de chanvre en tant que matériau de remplissage dans les murs en bois. / Construction projects nowadays face significant challenges to reduce the large amounts of daily energy usage for utilities such as heating, electricity and hot water in residential and commercial buildings – especially in Europe. Many building regulations encourage the use of bio-based materials with superior physical properties for energy efficiency in the construction sector. The use of low-carbon material in structures such as hemp concrete, improves the insulation level and sound absorption and simultaneously decreases the weight of the building structure, as this natural material provides low-density aggregate. This study aimed to investigate the mechanical behaviour of timber frame walls against lateral loads. Cross-laminated timber walls (CLT) and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) were used in this study in order to examine the global lateral strength of timber walls. A theoretical approach has been proposed to predict the lateral performance of CLT wall against lateral loads and a comparison between the theoretical and experimental results has been conducted. Experimental testing was undertaken on a full-size example of two different designs of timber walls to investigate and highlight the parameters that significantly affect the lateral resistance of hemp concrete as infill material. Vertical studs and diagonal bracing elements under compression were used in this study, with dimensions of 2.5m height and 1.25m length. The results showed that hemp concrete makes a slight contribution against lateral loads in vertical stud timber wall of length 1.25m, which means that decreasing the length of timber wall significantly decreased the hemp concrete contribution against lateral loads. Three timber walls with different lengths (1.2m, 1.6m and 2.4m) filled with hemp concrete have been examined numerically in this study. Based on the numerical results, it was obvious that the length of the timber wall plays a major role in the lateral strength of hemp concrete, as increasing the wall length significantly increased the lateral strength of hemp concrete. Also, the contact and bonding between hemp material and timber studs significantly affected the lateral load carrying capacity of hemp concrete as infill material in timber frame walls.

The Vertically Oriented Interlocking Timber (VOIT) panel is a new solid wood panel similar to Interlocking Cross Laminated Timber (ICLT) and the more commonly known Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). Like ICLT, VOIT panels use timber connections instead of the adhesives or metal fasteners common to CLT. The difference of VOIT is the orientation of the layers. Where CLT and ICLT panels alternate the orientation of each layer, VOIT panels orient all the layers in the same direction. The vertically oriented layers are then attached to one another by smaller horizontal dovetail members.Two types of VOIT panels were provided to be tested for in-plane lateral loading. Type I had three rows of horizontal dovetail members connecting the layers and Type II had four rows of dovetail members as well as two diagonal members to provide stiffness. Two panels of each type were provided, measuring 8 ft. wide, 8 ft. tall, and 13.75 in. thick. Each panel was disassembled after monotonic lateral in-plane loading to determine possible failure modes. Testing results suggest the VOIT panels to be comparable in shear strength to other wood shear walls, including light frame, CLT, and ICLT walls. A two-part analytical model was created to determine the deflection of the wall when loaded as well as the shear strength of the wall. The model predicted deflection and wall strength reasonably well. Due to the small sample size, additional testing is necessary to confirm the results of the Type I and Type II VOIT panels. Additional testing with more variations of the panel and member geometries is also needed to validate the scope of the model.