Project R-13254

Structural characterization of demountable joints as key element of innovative and sustainable steel-timber composite structures (Research)

The combination of steel and timber in the form of composite structures (STC) has emerged in the past decade benefiting from the "new" performant engineered wood products and their environmental-friendly character to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry. Though, STC solutions can be already found in the literature, the available know-how is yet limited and its use in actual projects remain very limited due to the fact that, even if such STC solutions are promising, the design of such structural elements is not covered by the existing normative documents. This justifies the need for research projects in this field to propose scientifically founded design recommendations for practice. Most of the existing studies on this topic focus on the characterisation of the properties of the steel-timber composite beams with limited consideration for the joints to be placed at the extremities of these beams while it is known in structural engineering that these joints play a key role in the design process. Through the present doctoral research, it is proposed to fill this gap and to investigate the characterisation and design of demountable steel-timber structural beam-to-column joints as key element of innovative and sustainable composite structures. The research approach will combine extensive analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations and will result in the proposal of scientifically validated design recommendations.

01 October 2022 - 30 September 2024