Author(s)

E. Kozem Šilih & M. Premrov

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental analysis of timber-framed wall elements with openings, coated with single fibre-plaster boards fastened to a timber frame. The present study is a continuation of the research work realized in recent years in the reinforcement of prefabricated timber-framed wall elements without any openings. Of course, in an apartment building, many walls may have one or more openings for functional reasons, doors or windows, where a concentration of the tensile stresses around the corners appears and consequently results in an essential decrease of the wall’s bearing capacity and the horizontal stiffness. We tested three groups of test samples in order to carry out an appropriate research about the influence of the area of opening on the stiffness and load-carrying capacity of the panels. The measured values for the non-opening test samples were taken from the previous research work and were compared with the measured values of the timber-framed wall elements with openings. Keywords: timber, frame walls, openings, fibre-plaster boards, experiments. 1 Introduction There is an increasing tendency worldwide to build multi-level prefabricated timber structures with timber-framed walls as the main bearing capacity elements. As the treated timber-framed wall elements are a composite system composed of a timber frame and fibre-plaster coating boards that are connected to the timber frame by mechanical fasteners, it is possible to assure with suitable boundary conditions a composite behaviour between the boards and the timber frame along the whole element and consequently to increase the wall bearing capacity. Because the tensile strength of the boards is smaller than the strength of the timber frame, the boards present the weaker part of the treated composite system. The present study is a continuation of the research work realized in

Keywords

timber, frame walls, openings, fibre-plaster boards, experiments