Vibration Properties and Serviceability Performance of a Modular Cross-Laminated Timber-Steel Composite Floor System
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 12
Abstract
Industry interest in mass timber hybrid construction is driving research into new connections, lateral load-resistance systems, seismic design, and fire safety design for low-carbon structures. However, only limited attention has hitherto been paid to the vibration serviceability of mass timber floor systems, which often controls their allowable maximum floor spans. This study investigated the vibration characteristics and serviceability performance of a promising modular prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT)–steel composite flooring solution under normal walking actions through both experimental testing and subjective evaluations. The study demonstrates that the flooring solution is a high-frequency floor system. The floor exhibits transient vibration response and can achieve acceptable vibration performance in residential and office settings. Its vibration performance can be reasonably assessed through the measured vibration dose value (VDV) over peak and root-mean-squared acceleration values when its modules are connected using self-tapping screws. The research outcomes will contribute to the vibration serviceability assessment of CLT-steel hybrid floor systems.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Government of British Columbia through an FII Wood First grant and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada through the Discover Program (Grant No. RGPIN-2019-04530) and Discovery Launch Supplement (Grant No. DGECR-2019-00265). The authors are grateful to James Andal and Mike Billups of the University of Northern British Columbia Wood Innovation Research Laboratory, and engineering students at the University of Northern British Columbia for their assistance during the experimental testing phase of the project. The authors appreciate Rothoblaas Canada Construction Products Inc. (Delta, BC, Canada) for donating the screws needed for assembling the composite floor modules and Structurlam (Penticton, BC, Canada) for discounting the cost of the cross-laminated timber panels. The UBC Four-Year Doctoral Fellowships (FYF), Special UBC Graduate Scholarship, Donald S. McPhee Fellowship, and Dr. J. David Barrett Memorial Scholarship in Wood Science granted to David Owolabi are also gratefully acknowledged.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 12 • December 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 18, 2023
Accepted: Aug 4, 2023
Published online: Sep 29, 2023
Published in print: Dec 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Feb 29, 2024
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