Wooden Walls used to Construct Buildings Five Stories or Higher in Earthquake-Prone Areas
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Summary
This novel wood construction solution is designed for use in constructing buildings that are five or more stories high. It consists of a very robust frame and massive boards that are attached to the frame with metal connectors. The frame is then anchored to the ground by steel cables which boost the wall’s properties in terms of flexibility and rigidity compared to conventional walls.
Potential Use
Building five-story wooden housing units
Development Status
TRL4
Advantages
More resistant and rigid than conventional walls. Walls are more flexible than a conventional platform framework system. Allows for building structures without weight-bearing walls and requires only a third of the walls traditionally required in a conventional system. This results in a more competitive and flexible building solution for six or more story structures.
Intellectual Property
PCT/CL2019050111 patent request submitted.
Opportunity
Patent request involves an applied research project that applied for the 201 Youth FCUC competitive tender, in collaboration with the Simpson Strong Tie company and other interested parties.
Research Team
Pablo Guindos, Jairo Montaño, Hernán Santa María.