CONNECTION SYSTEMS FOR EXTENDED BUILDING LIFE
Project Description:
This project aims to create a clear and common understanding in the engineering community around connection design. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of:
- Mass timber joints
- Framing to mass timber joints
- Hybrid (steel/concrete) to mass timber joints
Using interdisciplinary approaches new knowledge will be generated on structural ULS performance of common timber joints to extend building service life. Furthermore, long-term performance, creep performance and SLS performance (stiffness, vibrations, acoustics) will be considered. Expected outcomes of this project include refined methods and improved techniques for structural design of common timber joints which will be disseminated in a technical document (e.g. Wood Solutions design guide) with worked examples. This is expected to provide significant benefits for designers and structural engineers, increase certainty, and reduce cost.
Suggested preliminary work includes an industry survey to determine the variance of understanding in industry and mapping of what resources are available in Australia and internationally – state of the art report.
Objectives/Deliverables
- Standard connection detail library (Q4 2028)
- Technical doc with worked examples (e.g. Wood Solutions, Q4 2028)
- API / Integration of findings as software solution (e.g. CLT Toolbox, Q4 2028)
- Dissemination through: - Technical design guides (e.g. Wood Solutions, Q4 2028) - Webinars on findings, (e.g. Timber Queensland, Wood Solutions, Q2 2027, Q2 2028) - Conferences (WCTE 2025 Q2 2025, WCTE/INTER Q3 2027)
- Aspiration: input into AS1720.1 revision
Project Leader/s
Lisa Ottenhaus
Node Leader - Design for Extended Building Life; Project Leader
The University of Queensland
Project Staff
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Opportunity
PhD Candidate
PhD Scholarship Opportunity
Project Investigators
Joe Gattas
Theme Leader - Innovative Solutions; Node Leader - Manufacturing Innovation & Value-Chain Innovation
The University of Queensland
Tim Butler
Partner Investigator
Lendlease
Matt Smith
Partner Investigator
Simpson Strong-Tie
Sardar Malek
Partner Investigator
University of Victoria, Canada
Adam Jones
Partner Investigator
CLT Toolbox
Mahmud Ashraf
Chief Investigator
Deakin University
Hamid Valipour
Chief Investigator
University of New South Wales
Harrison Brooke
Partner Investigator
Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA)
Mateo Gutierrez
Partner Investigator; Executive Board Member
AKD Softwoods
Roberto Crocetti
Partner Investigator
KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Karin Lutz
Partner Investigator
Schmid Schrauben Hainfeld GmbH
Johann Gruber
Partner Investigator
SIHGA GmbH
Alex Zecevic
Partner Investigator
TTW
David Zhang
Partner Investigator
Multinail Australia Pty Ltd
Tim Crawshaw
Tim Crawshaw
BVN
Lead Project Partner Organisation
Project Partners
