AIDIMA R&D FORUM BUILDING IN PATERNA (VALENCIA), SPAIN. NEW TIMBER DESIGNS.

Jose-Mara Velasco1, Manuel Garca2, Kiyan Hedjri3, Miguel-Angel Abian4

ABSTRACT: AIDIMA, an Institute for Wood Research located in Paterna (Valencia, Spain), performs research on types of construction, computational techniques and design of construction processes. It has now commissioned the construction of a new building dedicated to R&D, in which the most recent techniques developed by the Institute will be used. The building, constructed entirely in timber, has the following characteristics: its geometry is that of an inclined 12 m x 12 m x 12 m cube. Its structure is made of a double skin of timber frames and a double layer of inner and outer glass that covers and protects the wooden structure and isolates the inside environment from the outside. As a part of the research developed, we present the analysis of a new type of timber joint. Before the construction of the building, an independent structure will be built, the Telon, a spatial free-form structure in order to test the process.

KEYWORDS: timber joints, timber screw joints, screws, joint stiffness, timber building, joint numerical analysis.

1 INTRODUCTION 123
AIDIMA (Wood, Furniture and Packaging Technology Institute) is a non-profit making organization, which is active throughout Spain.

related Products"; or more briefly R&D Forum) in order to expand its R&D activities.

2 DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF AIDIMA FORUM

The R&D Forum on Wood and Wood-related Products will be an R&D platform for the Spanish forestry, wood and furniture sector. This will open a new stage to develop more and better R&D projects in key technology. The building, constructed entirely in timber, has the following characteristics: its geometry is that of an inclined 12mx12mx12m cube. Its structure is made of a double skin of timber frames and a double layer of inner and outer glass that covers and protects the wooden

Figure 1: Building general design.

AIDIMA has its headquarters in the Technology Park of Valencia AIDIMA needs to create new research infrastructures ("R&D Forum on Wood and Wood1

Jose-Maria Velasco, AMATRIA Ingenieria sl, Diputacio 238244, E08007 Barcelona, Spain. Email: velasco@amatria.com 2 Manuel Garcia, Barbero&asociados, Email: archibab2005@yahoo.es 3 Kiyan Hedjri, Hedjri&asociados. Email: hedjri@coac.net 4 Miguel-Angel Abian, AIDIMA, Benjamin Franklin 13, E46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain. Email: mabian@aidima.es

Figure. 2: Experimental timber joint

structure and isolates the inside. The main faade, inclined, is south oriented to allow summer sunlight control (figure.1). Given the inclination of the structure it is required that the buildings timber adopts new structural behaviours. The processes of calculation, design and construction must be deepened forcing the development of new techniques and possibilities. A new structural type of joint has been developed for the project (figure 2).

screws a one-dimensional element frame. In order to achieve as realistic results as possible a nonlinear staged construction analysis has been performed. That is, the stress state changes as the pieces of the joint are put together. See figure 4.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH

In this research we study a type of joint between timber frames. The union will match the proposed design, which aims to minimize the visibility of the union between the different frames to unite and create a new universal joint. The proposed design is based on a union with two steel bolts that compress the wood and are anchored by screws on both the top and bottom (figure 3). These screws are inserted into the wood at various angles. In order to evaluate the best design for the junction, three studies have been performed related with the three different setting of screws in order to look for the influence of the screw diameter. Screws in diameter 4 mm , 6 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm have been studied [1,2].

Figure 5: Telon prototype of the structure. Scale 1:5.

5 TELON
Telon structure is the covering of front between two buildings of the headquarters of AIDIMA). It is a test of the FORUM building construction. In figure 5 we can say a model of the structure.

6 CONCLUSIONS
Figure 3: Geometry of the Joint Type 1

The new joint timber will be used in the construction of the Telon structure, and will be a test for the construction of the future AIDIMA R&D FORUM building.

4 JOINT NUMERICAL ANALYSIS

The union will match the proposed design, which aims to minimize the visibility of the union between the different frames to unite and create a new universal joint. The proposed design is based on a union with two steel bolts that compress the wood and are anchored by screws on both the top and bottom. These screws are inserted into the wood at various angles. Solid and three-dimensional finite elements for the

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research has been performed in the framework of the Project "Development of Mixed Construction Systems with Glued Laminated Timber and Glass for Light Roof Structures", funded by IMPIVA (Valencian Institute of Small and Medium-Sized Industry) and cofunded by FEDER funds from the European Union.

REFERENCES
[1] Arguelles-Alvarez, R.; et alii: Estructuras de Madera. Diseo y clculo. AITIM, Spain Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures. European Committee for Standardization (CEN), 2005. [2] Angeli A: Cubiertas y estructuras de Madera. ROTHOBLAAS. April 2009

Figure 4: Axial tension force on the screws (3D).

timber, bolts and steel plates have been used, and for the