Experimental Study on Dynamics of Wooden House Wall Panels with Different Thermal Isolation

Marcin Szczepański,Robert Jankowski,Wojciech Migda

doi:10.3390/app9204387

Marcin Szczepański, Robert Jankowski + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app9204387

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Journal: Applied Sciences	Publication Date: Oct 17, 2019
Citations: 9	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Gdańsk University of Technology

Abstract

Wood frame buildings are very popular in regions that are exposed to different dynamic excitations including earthquakes. Therefore, their seismic resistance is really important in order to prevent structural damages and human losses. The aim of the present paper is to show the results of experimental tests focused on the dynamic response of wall panels of a wooden frame building with thermal isolation made of mineral wool and polyurethane foam. Firstly, the static and the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) tests were conducted so as to determine the basic thermomechanical properties of the analyzed isolation materials. Then, the elements of the exterior walls with two types of thermal insulation were tested under harmonic excitation for different amplitudes of displacement. The results of the static material tests indicate that the polyurethane foam behaves in a highly nonlinear way both during compression and tension. Moreover, the results of the DMA tests show that the storage and loss modulus of the polyurethane foam are significantly larger in relation to the values obtained for the mineral wool. The results of the dynamic tests on wall panels show that the use of polyurethane foam as thermal isolation leads to a substantial increase in stiffness and damping properties, as compared to the case when the mineral wood is used.

Highlights

The seismic resistance of civil engineering structures, especially buildings, is an important aspect related to structural safety in the event of an earthquake [1,2,3]
There are some numerical analyses available, which indicate that thermal insulation of the wooden frame building can substantially affect the dynamic resistance of the whole structure. The results of these analyses show that using polyurethane foam instead of mineral wool for the in-wall insulation of a wood-frame building leads to an increase in the rigidity of the whole structure
The elements of exterior walls with two types of thermal insulation were tested under harmonic excitation for different amplitudes of displacement

Summary

Introduction

The seismic resistance of civil engineering structures, especially buildings, is an important aspect related to structural safety in the event of an earthquake [1,2,3]. Damages to building structures are the most common cause of fatalities due to seismic excitation. This applies to structures erected with different technologies. Buildings of major importance, such as hospitals, facilities of fire brigades or crisis management centres are designed in accordance with the applicable standards [4]. Methods of strengthening these structures, mainly constructed of reinforced concrete or steel frame (for example using the fiber-reinforced cementitious composite [4]), are subjected to many tests, including experimental and numerical ones [5,6,7,8,9]. The results of the study indicate that, once the input parameters of the connecting devices are properly designed, the glazing facade may work as an effective passive control system for the primary structure [15]

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