Engineered Wood Construction System for High Performance Structures

Abstract

A building includes a connection between an engineered wood load bearing element of the building such as a column, beam, or load bearing panel, and another load bearing element or a foundation of the building. At least one tendon ties the load bearing elements or the load bearing element and the foundation together. One or more energy dissipaters, replacably connected between the load bearing element and/or the foundation, absorb energy when a loading event causes relative movement of the connection. The engineered wood element maybe a laminated veneer lumber element, a parallel strand lumber element, or a glue laminated timber element, for example. Typically all of the load bearing elements of the building will be engineered wood elements. The building may be single or multi-storey. The building system enables lightweight low cost buildings, with energy dissipaters which may be replaced after extreme loading. The building may be prefabricated

1 . A building which includes:
 a connection between an engineered wood load bearing element of the building and another load bearing element or a foundation of the building,   at least one tendon tying the load bearing elements or the load bearing element and the foundation together, and   one more energy dissipaters replacably connected between the load bearing elements or load bearing element and the foundation, which will absorb energy from a loading event causing relative movement of the connection.   
   
   
       2 . A building according to  claim 1  wherein said connection is between an engineered wood load bearing element of the building and another engineered wood load bearing element of the building. 
   
   
       3 . A building according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the load bearing elements are structural elements of the building. 
   
   
       4 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein one or more of the load bearing elements is a beam. 
   
   
       5 . A building according to  3  wherein one or more of the load bearing elements is a column. 
   
   
       6 . A building according to  3  wherein one or more of the load bearing elements is a load bearing wall panel. 
   
   
       7 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the connection is a beam to beam connection. 
   
   
       8 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the connection is a beam to column connection. 
   
   
       9 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the connection is between adjacent load bearing wall panels 
   
   
       10 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the connection is between a load bearing wall panel and a beam. 
   
   
       11 . A building according to  claim 8  or  claim 10  wherein the beam is a roof-supporting beam. 
   
   
       12 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the connection is between a load bearing wall panel and a column. 
   
   
       13 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the building comprises beam to column connections between a column and beams on two or more sides of the column. 
   
   
       14 . A building according to  claim 3  wherein the building comprises beam to column connections between a corner column and two beams extending in different directions from the column. 
   
   
       15 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  14  wherein the tendon(s) is or are unbonded (not fixed) to the load bearing element(s) along the length of the element(s). 
   
   
       16 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  15  wherein the tendon(s) is or are partially bonded to the loaded bearing element(s) by being fixed to the element(s) at spaced intervals along the length of the element(s). 
   
   
       17 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  16  wherein the tendon(s) are in tension to pre-stress the connection. 
   
   
       18 . A building according to  claim 17  wherein the tendon(s) is or are anchored such that the amount of pre-stress can be adjusted. 
   
   
       19 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  18  wherein one or more dissipater(s) comprise(s) a major functional part fixed between the load bearing elements which will deform to absorb energy during a loading event. 
   
   
       20 . A building according to  claim 19  wherein the major functional part comprises a longitudinally extending element which is removably fixed at its either end. 
   
   
       21 . A building according to  claim 20  wherein the major functional part comprises an accurate element which is removably fixed at its either end. 
   
   
       22 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  21  wherein the energy dissipater(s) is or are replacably fixed to the exterior of the load bearing elements. 
   
   
       23 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  22  wherein one or more energy dissipater(s) is or are mounted within a cavity internally between the load bearing elements so as to enable the dissipater or a major functional part thereof to be removed and replaced after a loading event. 
   
   
       24 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  23  wherein the engineered wood element is a laminated veneer lumber element. 
   
   
       25 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  23  wherein the engineered wood element is a parallel strand lumber element. 
   
   
       26 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  23  wherein the engineered wood element is a glue laminated timber element. 
   
   
       27 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  26  wherein all or substantially all connections between load bearing elements of the building comprise at least one tendon tying the load bearing elements together and one or more energy dissipaters replacably connected between the load bearing elements. 
   
   
       28 . A building according to any one of  claims 1  to  27  comprising two or more storeys. 
   
   
       29 . A building which includes:
 multiple connections between engineered wood load bearing columns and beams of the building,   tendons tying the connections together and in tension to pre-stress the connections, and   one more energy dissipaters replacably connected across the connections, which will absorb energy from a loading event causing relative movement of the connections.   
   
   
       30 . A building according to  claim 29  wherein the columns or beams include laminated veneer lumber columns or beams. 
   
   
       31 . A building according to  claim 29  wherein the columns or beams include parallel strand lumber columns or beams. 
   
   
       32 . A building according to  claim 29  wherein the columns or beams include glue laminated timber columns or beams. 
   
   
       33 . A building according to any one of  claims 29  to  33  wherein all or substantially all connections between the columns and beams of the building comprise at least one tendon tying columns and beams together and one or more energy dissipaters replacably connected between the columns and beams. 
   
   
       34 . A building according to any one of  claims 29  to  33  wherein all or substantially all connections between the columns and a foundation of the building comprise at least one tendon tying the column to the foundation and one or more energy dissipaters replacably connected between the column and foundation. 
   
   
       35 . A building according to any one of  claims 29  to  34  wherein all or substantially all connections between the columns and a foundation of the building comprise at least one energy dissipater. 
   
   
       36 . A building according to any one of  claims 29  to  33  comprising two or more storeys. 
   
   
       37 . A building which includes:
 multiple connections between engineered wood load bearing wall panels of the building,   tendons tying the connections together and in tension to pre-stress the connections, and   one more energy dissipaters replacably connected across the connections, which will absorb energy from a loading event causing relative movement of the connections.   
   
   
       38 . A building according to  claim 37  wherein connections between load bearing wall panels and a foundation of the building comprise tendons tying wall panels to the foundation. 
   
   
       39 . A building according to either one of  claims 37  to  38  wherein connections between the load bearing wall panels and a foundation of the building comprise energy dissipaters.