We are now involved in the experimental campaign of the Enroot project: Enhancing the robustness of timber structures, at the ICITECH laboratories of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). The project aims to enhance the robustness of timber structures by designing and evaluating improved inter-element connections to meet structural robustness requirements. Enroot is funded by the Generalitat Valenciana – Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, under the GE 2023 call (CIGE/2022/120).
In the experimental campaign, substructures (with three columns and two beams) will be tested using enhanced connection typologies for robustness applications. IAdditional tests will be also performed with improved connections in terms of strength and rotational capacity. In total, four substructures will be tested against column removals.
To prepare the laboratory tests, first two reaction frames were positioned in the testing area at the ICITECH laboratories. Then, we installed different types of connections to the beams, as shown in the pictures, and did the final assembly and monitoring (strain gauges, load cells, displacement transducers, inclinometers, DIC) of one of the substructures. Soon, we will start with the final assembly of the rest of the substructures and the tests.
