This is the main output of the Sustainable Modular Houses for People in Need, Project Number: 2021-1-EL01-KA220-VET-000025502. The “research–knowledge hub” (RKH) is an electronic library developed and created for containing detailed items of applied research in the field of timber construction design principles, circular economy, sustainable development and material availability in different regions of Europe.

RKH is an innovative tool for bibliographic search, an electronic library in all languages of the partners in which the project partners have uploaded complete methods of construction (assembly and disassembly), studies, reports, practical guides and case studies which are expected to assist on finding all the necessary resources under one umbrella. The purpose of the RKH is to be a valuable tool in the hands of both researchers but mostly for the professionals who are actually involved in the whole phase of delivering a modular unit for people in need (from design to construction).

Sustainability Improvement in the Design of Lightweight Roofs: A New Prototype of Hybrid Steel and Wood Purlins

A new structural typology of a hybrid purlin, made of type C cold steel and rectangular laminated wood (SWP), is presented in this paper. As a result, improvements on the most commonly used steel purlins are achieved, by substituting some of the steel sections for wooden sections. Although the wooden section is weaker and has a lower elastic modulus than the steel, the overall dimensions of the SWP are no larger than the type C steel purlin. In comparison with the steel ones, SWP purlins achieve a far better performance in terms of sustainability and are of lower weight, so less material will be needed for the main structure of the building. The behavior of each material in its position and the improvements in terms of sustainability and lower weight are analyzed as a function of span length, slope, and design load. To do so, the influence of both tensile stress and deformation design criteria in each section and the influence of those criteria on the choice of material and the lengths of each section are all examined. Finally, a design guide for the SWPs is presented that applies the proposed technical specifications.

Additional Info

  • Keywords: Sustainability, Construction, Materials
  • Target Group: Engineer
  • Language: English
  • Publication Year: 2019
  • Type: Article

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