Development and testing of the reinforced wooden windows

Abstract

Oversized window systems with extreme heights are becoming increasingly popular at European and global market. Such sizes can cause problems of bending of wooden elements which results in the decrease of main window properties and structural integrity. Double casement wooden windows of the 2 m height, with and without reinforcement, were tested at the pressure load of 2000 Pa in order to define its behaviour and develop numerical simulation. Numerical models were defined as an assembly of individual wooden elements with mutual contact, orthotropic behaviour, simulated dowels constrain and insulated triple glass unit. Simulations have provided insight in to mutual behaviour of all individual elements and have proven that contact between window and the wall represents weak point rather than the integrity of the wooden frame elements as initially assumed. During the next phase special reinforcements used to restrain moments at the contact points were tested both numerically and psychically.