Performance Evaluation of Timber I-Joists with Web Holes and Flange Notches Experimental and Numerical Study

I-joists are composite timber beams mainly used in roof and flooring systems. They consist of oriented strand board (OSB) webs and timber flanges. For post-construction purposes, these beams are often drilled in the web or notched through the flange in order to pass the electrical/mechanical facilities through the openings. This can result in a significantly lower load-carrying capacity for these important elements. This study investigates the performance of I-joists with web holes and flange notches through experimental and numerical approaches. First, OSB and timber will be tested experimentally to develop their material constitutive models. S-FRAME finite element (FE) software will then be used to create a detailed FE model to predict the load-carrying capacity of I-joists. The model will be validated against data from full-scale experiments on selected I-joists. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Shahria Alam

Student:

Moein Shirazi

Partner:

S-FRAME Software Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Program: