Lightweight Reinforced Timber Structures - An Economic Showcase

Upgrading the performance of structural members by reinforcements is a well-established concept for timber engineering. The introduction of small volumes of high performance FRP composites is a natural progression of this technology, which has seen significant interest, research and development over recent years. Potential applications include:

• Strength & stiffness enhancements producing smaller section sizes.
• Localised reinforcements give stiffer joints.
• Stiffer elements generally enhance serviceability performance
• Savings in retro-fit applications

This project draws together both technical merits and cost implications of employing reinforcement in timber structures, drawing upon a fragmented information resource and repackaging it in the form of virtual case studies to showcase economic reinforcement solutions. It will remedy the lack of hard factual evidence of the benefits of combing FRPs and timber. This will promote convincing technology transfer from other sectors, and from advanced timber industries elsewhere. Stiffer, stronger and lighter design solutions employing both local and global FRP additions to UK timber elements will be shown to have measured and proven cost-effectiveness.

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