This project was launched to support a NSERC grant proposal under the Collaborative Research and Development program (CRD) in 2001, together with universities and other institutes, including UNB, McGill, Concordia, UWO, NCSU, the ICLR, CSIRO of Australia, and the CWC, with Forintek being the main industry sponsor. On October 22, 2002, a formal notification on the success of the grant application was received.
Three (3) test structures are planned for monitoring wind loads, including an industrial shed located at Forintek’s Eastern Laboratory in Québec City. The shed is being instrumented with pressure sensors and deformation measuring devices to measure wind loads and the structural response. Two (2) sections of the wall and roof have been instrumented. This included four (4) studs and two (2) roof wood I-joists. The idea is to collect limited data on wind loads and structural response as a learning exercise, before detailed study of purpose built test structures. Two (2) new test structures are planned to be built in Montreal (at McGill’s Macdonald campus).
In order to study the response of structural subsystems to lateral loads and compare that with predictions from Finite Elements models, shear wall tests were carried out at Forintek. Eight (8) wall configurations were tested with and without openings. Such tests provided valuable information on the behaviour of wall panels to lateral forces. Moreover, good agreement was found between model predictions and the experimental results. Proto-type load cells capable of measuring forces in three dimensions have been developed at the University of New Brunswick. The load cell will eventually be used to measure forces transferred at the interface between the walls and foundations or roof and walls. Considerable efforts have been made in the development of the instrumentation systems and connection details for the planned test structures (2 and 3). Forintek has established contacts with the wood industry in order to secure the construction materials needed for building the new test structures.
Work is continuing on the instrumentation of Forintek’s shed and the monitoring process will start soon. Structural and architectural plans for the new structures and details of instrumentation are being finalized.