Alireza Bahmanzad
PhD Candidate, Sustainable Building Systems
Ali is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Environmental Conservation. He graduated with an MS Civil and Structural Engineering from Iran with a solid background in Civil Engineering and an in-depth understanding of complex structural systems. He has been involved in a variety of challenging engineering projects including structural analysis of a subway station, bridges, and residential complexes. His PhD research focuses on the improvement of the mechanical properties of the CLT panels using locally low-valued eastern wood species.
Project Title: Improving the Shear behavior of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels by Optimization of Laminates Ply-Orientation Using Local Species of Wood
Dissertation Committee:
Chair: P.L. Clouston
Member: S.R. Arwade & A.C. Schreyer
Project Description:
One issue associated with CLT panels is their low shear properties arising from cross directional fiber layup, called rolling shear, causing larger shear deformation and deflection in CLT floors. It is speculated that this issue is more prominent in CLT panels if low-grade species are used, specifically in the mid-layers.
The goal of this research is to investigate the rolling shear properties of CLT panels fabricated from locally grown species Eastern Hemlock and Eastern White Pine. For this purpose, a CLT panel with different ply-orientation and configuration will be examined to determine the optimal mid-layer fiber orientation and layup configuration. It is the hypothesis of this research that properties of CLT panels with orthogonal layups could be improved by reorienting the mid-layer fiber in the panel. This hypothesis originates from the conjecture that there is an optimal ply-orientation and layup configuration for CLT floor system considering specific loading condition and circumstances. This improvement in rolling shear properties of CLT provides the possibility for higher bending strength capacity in the major direction of CLT panels.
This research will also aid market development of local species CLT to make possible the establishment of manufacturing facilities in the region by using locally grown trees including Eastern Hemlock and Eastern White Pine, resulting in improvement of the forest management and creation of local jobs.