An analytical model describing the in-plane behaviour of timber diaphragms strengthened with plywood panels

Timber diaphragms in existing buildings are often too flexible in their plane, and can thus potentially cause out-of-plane collapses of walls during earthquakes. A very efficient retrofitting method to increase their in-plane stiffness and energy dissipation is the overlay of plywood panels. However, the usual characterization of the floors by...

Determination of the shear strength of tropical hardwood timber

The current shear strength values for high density tropical hardwoods are very low compared to the values for softwoods, according to European strength class tables. The reason for this is that standardized tests according to European standard EN 408 have not been performed yet for tropical hardwoods. In this...