Prediction and Assessment of the Life-cycle Performance of Timber Structures

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C08.0035

Key words (English)

Timber Structures; Life-cycle performance; failure assessment; robustness

Research programs (English)

COST-Action E55 - Modelling of the performance of timber structures

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: ETH Zürich Institut für Baustatik und Konstruktion IBK HIL E 23.2

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, HR, IE, IT, LT, NL, NO, PT, SE, SI, UK

Abstract (English)

The main objective of the present COST Action E55 is to provide a better understanding of the load bearing behaviour of timber structural elements and connections in construction. As it is obvious that this task is a major one, having occupied the timber research profession since decades, it is also clear that the defined goal in its broad sense cannot be achieved within the limited potential of one single COST activity. It is therefore of utmost importance that the activities and reinforcements within this action are directed to issues, which are found to be essential for the overall performance of timber structures. The work plan of WG I is mainly focused on this and the planned publication on the Assessment of Failures and Malfunctions will be an attempt to summarise an extract of experience and knowledge represented by the participants of this COST action. It became evident during the first discussions on this subject at the first Workshops of COST E55, that it is a necessity to present existing experience in a common format, using the same criteria and terminology. The project team elaborated a strong contribution to these discussions. Based on existing reports on the assessment of failures and malfunctions, a common evaluation raster was developed. Common criteria to describe the characteristics of failures in regard to building type, structural system, damaged building components, type of damage, and consequences of damage are given. Special attention is directed to the description of the cause of the failure. Here it is distinguished between unfortunate combination of high load and resistance, improper design rules and errors. The description of errors delivers a valuable insight that might be taken as the basis for the development of quality assurance strategies for the entire building process.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C08.0035