University of Canterbury

Prestressed Timber Limited

Stefano Pampanin

Alessandro Palermo

Andrew Buchanan

Allesandro Palermo

A method of manufacturing a pre-stressed beam or panel and the resulting beam or panel are described. The method includes providing a timber-based component (); providing a pre-stressing member () arranged along the timber-based component; applying a tensile force to the pre-stressing member (); providing concrete anchors () at locations that are spaced apart along the timber-based component (); coupling the pre-stressing member () to the concrete anchors (); and releasing the tensile force on the pre-stressing member () to transfer a compressive force to the timber-based component () through the concrete anchors () to form a pre-stressed beam or panel.

Pre-stressed beams or panels

A building includes a connection between an engineered wood load bearing element of the building such as a column, beam, or load bearing panel, and another load bearing element or a foundation of the building. At least one tendon ties the load bearing elements or the load bearing element and the foundation together. One or more energy dissipaters, replaceably connected between the load bearing element and/or the foundation, absorb energy when a loading event causes relative movement of the connection. The engineered wood element may be a laminated veneer lumber element, a parallel strand lumber element, or a glue laminated timber element, for example. Typically all of the load bearing elements of the building will be engineered wood elements. The building may be single or multi-storey. The building system enables lightweight low cost buildings, with energy dissipaters which may be replaced after extreme loading. The building may be prefabricated.

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Christchurch, New Zealand

Stefano Pampanin