Hybrid timber-steel structures passed the resistance test at the Structures and materials lab of the University of Trento. They will be used in highly technological, flexible, sustainable and affordable buildings.
The test was performed today in Mesiano in the framework of the industrial research project financed by the Autonomous Province of Trento through a public fund for the development and enhancement of local resources.
“This is a great outcome” commented Cristiano Loss, engineer and research fellow at the department of Civil, environmental and mechanical engineering (DICAM) of the University of Trento.
“It is an experimental test of an innovative building technology that uses vertical and horizontal components that were developed and studied on purpose during my last three years of research, under the guidance of professors Maurizio Piazza and Riccardo Zandonini. My study focuses on new solutions for social housing”.
Loss then described the evolution of the project: “With this innovative and hybrid construction structure, which is a pre-assembled module of timber and steel, we can build ultralight and resistant floors for new sustainable buildings. We have developed a number of connection solutions to build and install timber-steel floors, a first time achievement that complements our list of well-known systems for residential buildings. Numerical analysis and experimental tests performed on appropriately dimensioned floor components have supported both the research study and the creation of the connection parts. The study contributed to the development and improvement of the system, ensuring a more efficient exploitation of materials and better connections. Thanks to the study we were able to present a highly engineered, prototypical floor module. The system is currently evolving”.
What has changed compared to the past is the mix of materials used in this new type of structure: steel, which is easily recycled, and fir wood, a natural and high quality raw material sourced locally in Trentino. Also, the structure is very flexible, and this allows for the planning of larger indoor areas so that it is possible, for instance, to remove or reposition internal walls according to the residents’ needs. This is a crucial feature for social housing, where the same apartment may be readapted to suit the needs of large or small families over time.
“The success of today’s resistance test of a full scale model structure - explained Loss - represents a fundamental step in the development of prototypes for social residential housing. This model combines high technological content, adaptability to different local contexts, flexibility of purpose, lightness and robustness, environmental sustainability, care for the social dimension, a quality product at an affordable price (around one-thousand euros per square meter). This is what we are doing through the “livetolive” project in order to answer a social, economic, technological and environmental demand”.
The project also marks another achievement in the partnership between university and the business world. The three-year project was supported and supervised by Premetal, a company based in Rovereto which has been working for years on pre-assembled construction materials, which will also market the product.
“We achieved a very important result today - commented Andrea Poli, responsible for the Research and Development department - one that gives our company yet another competitive advantage. This hybrid steel-timber solution, the first of its kind in this field, makes it possible to reduce building costs and at the same time to lower the risk of work-related injuries and other construction site issues. The different elements are built at the manufacturing plant and then assembled on site, saving a significant amount of time. According to our estimates, with this technology we can complete a four-storey building in 6-8 months of on-site work. We are planning to start marketing the product the next fall”.