Blast tests on three existing two-story, single-bay cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures at Tyndall Air Force Base were successful, according to WoodWorks, a program working with the Wood Products Council.
“On-site observations were decidedly positive; all structures remained intact under significant explosive loading well beyond their design capacity,” according to a council news release. This was the second phase of blast testing on CLT structures conducted by WoodWorks.
“Last year, we tested the structures under their own self-weight,” said Bill Parsons, vice president of operations for WoodWorks. “Those tests were successful and, this year, we built on that effort by testing whether the design methods established as a result of those initial tests needed to be adjusted when the buildings carried typical gravity loads and included different connection configurations, increased panel thickness, and alternate mass timber wall systems.”
One building used 5-ply CLT front wall panels, the second used off-the-shelf prefabricated angle brackets, and the third included nail-laminated timber (NLT) front panels. All three structures remained standing following the fourth and largest blast, intended to take the structures well beyond their design intent. While panel rupture was observed on all front and side wall panels, the buildings maintained enough residual capacity to remain intact and safe to enter, the release says.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Feb 2, 2015
AGC working with EPA on website to help with environmental rule compliance
The goal is for the site to be improved to make it easier for construction contractors to learn how to comply with federal and state environmental guidelines.
| Feb 2, 2015
New York law requires informing firefighters of wood truss construction
New York enacted a law that could make firefighting a bit safer by mandating property owners inform government and first-responders when they build or rehabilitate a building using "truss-type" pre-engineered wood or timber.
| Jan 14, 2015
Ontario code changes boost accessibility for people with disabilities
The new amended Ontario building code includes several provisions that improve accessibility for those with disabilities.
| Jan 14, 2015
American Concrete Institute releases Spanish edition of structural concrete code
New York City last year adopted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommendation to require additional exit stairways in high-rise buildings.
| Jan 14, 2015
Terrorism Risk Insurance Act renewed
President Barack Obama signed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act law on Jan. 12.
| Jan 9, 2015
Academy of Art in San Francisco under fire for code violations
The fast-growing Academy of Art is under intense scrutiny by the City of San Francisco for code violations.
| Jan 9, 2015
New law mandates storm shelters in Illinois schools
An Illinois law took effect on Jan. 1 that requires all new and remodeled schools to have storm shelters.
| Jan 9, 2015
New OSHA regulations on reporting workplace deaths, hospitalizations take effect
As of Jan. 1, all employers under the jurisdiction of OSHA are required to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours.
| Jan 9, 2015
Zoning policy makes Bethesda, Md., a model walkable suburb
In sharp contrast to most suburban communities in the Washington, D.C. area, Bethesda, Md., stands out as a fine exemplar of the new urbanism ethos.
| Jan 8, 2015
Gundersen Health System says it is nation’s first net-zero healthcare network
Gundersen Health System, a network of hospitals, medical clinics, and nursing homes in Wisconsin, announced that it is producing more energy than it consumes, making it the first net-zero energy health system in the U.S.
