Doweled cross laminated timber: Experimental and analytical study

In developed countries, the construction sector has moved towards industrialization and sustainability of construction and structural materials, thus solid wood construction has gained recognition. New products such as CLT panels are used for construction of multi-storey building, and other products that use the same principle of cross lamination have gained ground, as for instance the dowel cross laminated timber panel, called DCLT. This study aims to evaluate the structural behaviour of DCLT panels with Pinus elliottii and Pinus taeda wood lamellae and pau-roxo dowels (Peltogyne spp., Leguminosae), through a specific test model developed for the connections. The panel stiffness results obtained were 727 and 1353 kNm for the 3- and 5-layer panels, respectively. The analytical values were very close to the experimental values, validating the new test procedure, which was the slip modulus value used in the obtained analytical calculations. The conclusion was that the two panels proved to be efficient for structural use, because analytical simulations showed that the panels are capable of overcoming spans of about 4 meters with distributed load values common to homes, and may become a new product for residential construction. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.