Wood is a much better material than people know. Maybe it is because wood is such an old material. People hear ‘wood’ and start thinking about huts and cottages. Even when wood has been used in a modern building, it is often hidden within its structures. And yet, engineering has transformed wood. Engineered wood products are light, strong and sustainable. It is even Wi-Fi friendly. All of this makes Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber) the most modern of construction materials, and wood the best way to meet the dual challenge of housing a growing population and battling climate change. As Kerto is so light, it is even perfect for adding new floors to old buildings. Not to mention building an entrance with wood columns. You just need to see wood in a new light.
Constructing the entrance of the Reichstag out of wood wouldn’t really be a challenge at all. This is a question of typical industrial architecture – something we do every day. In fact, if the entrance was just made bigger, it would be a typical large storage space. We use a Kerto-Q panel for the roof for four reasons. It would
Timber-to-timber connections are cost effective as they are done directly between two timber pieces. As there are no steel pieces in this connection, it works well in industrial environments, which often have an acid atmosphere.
Using screws in timber-to-timber connection is beneficial as screws can utilize the rope effect very well, which increases the connection lateral load-carrying capacity. When used with Kerto only larger screws generally need pre-drilling. Depending on the screw manufacturer, large drill-bit screws can be used without predrilling, which increases the effectiveness of the connection. Screws can also be installed at an inclined angle, which improves the connection capacity and makes the connection yet stronger. This type of connection is also quite fire resistant as the connectors are largely encased within the wood material.
With multiple shear plane steel-to-timber connections, the steel pieces are usually slotted inside the timber to increase resistance to fire. The steel parts are easy to connect to the surrounding structures. The ductile behaviour of the connection has elastic capacity and this allows for considerable displacement before failure. Avoiding failure is possible in most cases by reducing the stress on the connection.
Because of its strength, Kerto-Q would be used for the top and bottom chord. Kerto-Q is cross-bonded Kerto, meaning that one fifth of the veneers are glued crosswise. This structure improves the lateral bending strength and stiffness of the panel, thus increasing the shear strength when used as a beam. Due to its cross-bonded structure, Kerto-Q has good cracking resistance that can be utilized in connection design. Kerto-Q provides a functional solution in structural components, particularly when a high shear strength is one of the requirements.
The diagonals would be made from Kerto-S. It combines excellent technical performance with ease of use. Its essential qualities include strength. Dimensional precision and stability. It is the ideal choice for truss members whenever high strength is required.
Dome
