Feasibility study of hybrid wood steel structures

• Main Author: Khorasani, Yalda
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2011
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/33561

This thesis involves a detailed study of steel-wood hybrid structures and their applications in construction industry. Hybrid structures combine benefits of dissimilar materials to overcome their individual limitations. Various advantages and challenges of steel-timber hybrid structures are presented. Benefits include increase in tensile capacity, seismic performance, fire resistance of the structure, and cost savings. Challenges with this type of hybrid structures originate from the differences in the properties of the materials used. Connection design may be more difficult as temperature and humidity variations have different effects on steel and timber. The hybrid materials can be integrated at component levels (hybrid slab/diaphragms, hybrid beams, hybrid columns, hybrid diagonals, hybrid post-tensioned joints) and/or at the building system levels (hybrid frames, hybrid system of steel frames and wood diaphragms, vertical mixed system and hybrid trusses). To elaborate on these types of hybridization and their advantages and challenges, case studies of steel-timber, concrete-timber and steel-concrete structures are provided. Despite the obvious advantages, today’s applications of wood-steel hybrid structures have been limited. Currently there are no material and design standards for hybrid wood-steel structures. For light structures, NAHB Research Center has developed a builder’s guide to hybrid wood and steel connection details. When combining steel and wood, designers should consider the advantages and limitation of each material and optimally utilize them. The literature review has highlighted the opportunity for wood-steel hybrid buildings and existing knowledge gaps. Another aim of this thesis is to investigate technical software packages and identify the pros and cons of each software pachage for modeling hybrid structures. The considered software packages are ANSYS, SAPWood, SeismoStruct and OpenSees Navigator. Software packages are evaluated interms of their ability to model linear and non linear materials; orthotropic and istotropic materials and composite materials. among the softwares ANSYS is found to be the most suitable for modelling hybird wood and steel structures. A case study of a hybird structure consisting of steel momet frame and wood shear wall is modeled with ANSYS. Static analysis is performed on the structure and it is observed that wood shear wall significantly reduce the lateral deflection of the system. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Civil Engineering, Department of === Graduate