Experimental Investigation on Long-term Axial Creep Performance of Pine, Spotted Gum and Laminated Veneer Lumber

Abstract

Recent changes to the Building Code of Australia (2016), which allow timber buildings up to 25 meters (approximately eight storeys), have effectively opened a market for mid-rise timber construction of the light timber framing kind. Whilst a few studies have been conducted on the long-term creep behavior of timber subjected to bending (Pecenko, Hozjan, Pazlar & Turk 2012; Mohager & Toratti 1992; Zhou, Fushitani, Kubo & Ozawa 1991), research on the long-term effects of axial creep, which is relevant for mid-rise timber-framed buildings, is scarce. There is, therefore, a need to understand the fundamental long-term mechanical behavior of Australian timber species, engineered wood products (EWPs), and timber-framed systems subjected to axial loading to accurately model long-term creep effects. With this in mind, a base-line experimental investigation has been conducted to understand the long-term axial creep characteristics of different Australian wood species and EWPs, to better understand creep in mid-rise timber buildings.