M A T E R I A L S
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF
TALL TIMBER BUILDINGS
NEW RESEARCH SHOWS TIMBER CORE-WALL SYSTEMS CAN BE USED IN MID- TO HIGH-RISE TIMBER
BUILDINGS TO FORM LIFT SHAFTS OR STAIRCASES, MAKING IT EASIER, MORE FLEXIBLE AND CHEAPER
TO BUILD MORE ECO-FRIENDLY BUILDINGS.
www.engineeringnews.co.nz 39
University of Canterbury
(UC) engineering
doctoral candidate
Justin Brown is guiding
future timber core-wall design with
his research, paving the way for ecofriendly,
mid- to high-rise buildings.
“The emergence of engineered
wood products has started a
renaissance for using timber as a
key construction material in mid- tohigh
rise buildings,” Mr Brown says.
“We’re seeing a lot of hybrid
concrete-timber and steel-timber
buildings that still rely on concrete
or steel cores to resist seismic
forces. I’m exploring whether
that part of the building could be
replaced with a timber solution and
to what height this is practicable and
economical.”
Compared with traditionally built
mid- to high-rise buildings, alltimber
solutions also have a lower
environmental impact. The doctoral
student aspires to show that a
timber core can be structurally
sound and cost competitive,
compared with commonly used
concrete cores.
He is excited about the impact his
research will have on future ecofriendly
buildings and their seismic
resilience.
“Aotearoa New Zealand’s
earthquake hazard, combined
with climate change, is fuelling
interest in innovative, sustainable
and resilient building solutions,” Mr
Brown says.
“The timber cores will also adopt
low-damage seismic design
technologies, so that during major
earthquakes, damage to the
buildings is minimal and occupancy
is restored quickly, meaning
minimal repair cost and downtime.”
Currently, there are no design tools
and minimal research available
to help engineers design timber
cores. Brown is conducting a
large-scale test of cross-laminated
timber (CLT) core-walls.
“There are already all-timber,
multi-storey buildings being built
today, but this research would allow
for a new type of timber structure
to be built. Through large-scale
experimental testing of a timber
core-wall, engineers will have
data and design tools to design
multi-storey timber buildings with
improved seismic resilience.”
The doctoral candidate says finetuning
guidelines for practising
engineers is an important step
towards building momentum on
all-timber construction, which will
impact the building industry.
The research is being funded by
the New Zealand Commonwealth
Scholarship Fellowship Plan, and
the experimental testing is funded
by Specialty Wood Products
Partnership, New Zealand Douglasfir
Association and Australian
Research Council.
Justin Brown (left) came to study engineering with UC Senior Lecturer
Dr Minghao Li after he became aware that much of the latest research
on seismic design and timber structures was being generated from UC’s
College of Engineering. (Photo credit: University of Canterbury).
/www.engineeringnews.co.nz
