\u201cAs soon as a window is planned in the facade, the entire wall segment must be treated by the planning engineer as if it was air,\u201d Manser revealed. \u201cThat is simply not efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
To challenge the claim, the research team began testing individual planking panels commonly used in timber-frame construction<\/a>. They gradually scaled up to entire wall sections with varying window sizes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are investigating the horizontal bracing of buildings with timber frame walls that contain window openings,\u201d the PhD student explained. <\/p>\n The final phase reportedly took place at Empa\u2019s construction hall, where the team subjected full-scale, two-story timber walls<\/a> to controlled horizontal loads until failure. <\/p>\n Ultimately, at over 100 kilonewtons of force, the structure groaned under the force before one of the beams finally gave away in an intentional collapse that provided critical data for the study. <\/p>\n Real-world construction<\/p>\n Despite the dramatic failure, the wall\u2019s performance validated the researchers\u2019 hypothesis and challenged long-held engineering assumptions. It proved that even with openings, such walls provide measurable bracing capacity.<\/p>\n Manser is now utilizing the findings to develop a computational model that captures the horizontal stiffness of timber walls with windows. This was previously excluded from most structural calculations.<\/p>\n She believes that by integrating these data points, engineers will be able to more accurately predict how a wall segment will behave under lateral loads without defaulting to conservative approximations.<\/p>\n \u201cIn certain buildings, it may even be possible to dispense with a concrete core, which is currently necessary in many wooden buildings in order to achieve the desired stiffness values,\u201d Manser said.<\/p>\n This represents a significant advancement in how timber structures<\/a> can be designed, calculated, and optimized. This is especially important in mid-rise or multi-story buildings, where material savings and structural efficiency go hand in hand.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A2_0f6ddf.jpg\" "\\"\u2018Spectacular")
PhD student Nadja Manser investigates the horizontal load-bearing capacity of timber frame walls containing window openings.
Credit: Empa<\/a><\/p>\n