• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2020

Ascent, a 25 story residential tower located in Milwaukee, WI (USA), will become the tallest timber building in the world upon completion. This paper discusses the project's structural system, permit process, groundbreaking project specific testing, and several of the challenges the team overcame, all of which open the door to future Mass Timber projects; particularly in the United States.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2020

The 2020 National Building Code of Canada (NBC) and the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) both include Tall Wood Buildings (TWB) and are hailed as documents responsible for the proliferation of Mass Timber construction. Mass Timber construction is critical to reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry; a sector acknowledged as being one of the greatest contributors of global annual CO₂ emissions. Origine, a 13-storey multi-residential building erected in 2017 in a previously unsuitable site, is currently the tallest all-wood building in North America. This article describes the challenges overcome by the designers and client as they engaged with code officials, building authorities, and fire-service representatives to demonstrate the life-safety performance of this innovative building. It also traces the development of the "Guide for Mass Timber Buildings of up to 12 Storeys" published in Quebec and how it has enabled other significant Tall Wood projects across North America.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2020

Professionals who work in the realm of tall building design and construction are well aware that high-rises are the best solution for accommodating growing urban populations. Until recently, few would have thought to include tall wood buildings as part of that solution, but there is growing awareness that tall mass timber structures can help satisfy the need for density while addressing the need-equally urgent-for a more sustainable built environment. This paper examines the trend toward tall wood buildings in the United States, including their history and international influences, market drivers, structural performance, and economic viability, as well as building code changes that allow wood structures up to 18 stories. It highlights examples of mass timber projects, with an emphasis on benefits that impact return on investment.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2024

Designed ten years ago Sensations is still the highest all mass timber residential building in France. As a pilot project it had many challenges to overcome, and as architects it was a clear milestone in our commitment towards the development of wood construction. We invite you to explore the design and technical (behind the curtain) aspects of the story.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 2024

HoHo Wien in Vienna, the 84-meter mixed-use building, is the tallest timber structure in Austria. This article presents HoHo Wien designed by Rüdiger Lainer + Partner in detail as a case study. It was originally part of the book titled "Mass Timber for High Rise Buildings" written by the authors and published by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2020

This paper reflects on the structural design of Haut; a 21-storey high-end residential development in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Construction started in 2019 and is in progress at the time of writing. Upon completion in 2021, Haut will be the first residential building in the Netherlands to achieve a 'BREEAM-outstanding' classification. The building will reach a height of 73 m, making it the highest timber structure in the Netherlands. It contains some 14.500 ㎡ of predominantly residential functions. It features a hybrid concrete-timber stability system and concrete-timber floor panels. This paper describes the concepts behind the structural design for Haut and will touch upon the main challenges that have arisen from the specific combination of characteristics of the project. The paper describes the design of the stability system and -floor system, the analysis of differential movements between concrete and timber structures and wind vibrations. The paper aims to show how the design team has met these specific challenges by implementing a holistic design approach and integrating market knowledge at an early stage of the design.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2023

The use of Engineered Wood Systems (EWS), especially mass-timber, as a structural alternative or complement to steel and concrete is gaining interest and acceptance across different sectors of architecture, engineering, and construction, including in high-rise buildings. Focussing on the Australian context, this study examines the levels of adoption and barriers to using timber as a primary structural material in multi-storey buildings. Data collected from semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at the forefront of adoption in structural design, construction, and property development indicates that timber in multi-storey projects in Australia still faces industry-wide challenges. Designers' awareness and attitudes towards timber adoption are generally positive and suitable for flagship projects, including tall buildings, but for enduring and widespread impact, long-term investment in education within and outside the range of stakeholders already committed to promoting timber adoption is needed.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2020

An innovative high-rise timber-concrete hybrid structure was proposed in previous research, which is composed of the concrete frame-tube structure and the prefabricated timber modules as main structure and substructures, respectively. Considering that the timber substructures are built on the concrete floors at a different height, the floor response spectrum is more effective in estimating the seismic response of substructures. In this paper, the floor response spectra of the hybrid structure with different structural parameters were calculated using dynamic time-history analysis. Firstly, one simplified model that can well predict the seismic response of the hybrid structure was proposed and validated. Then the construction site, the mass ratio and the frequency ratio of the main-sub structure, and the damping ratio of the substructures were discussed. The results demonstrate that the peaks of the floor response spectra usually occur near the vibration periods of the whole structure, among which the first two peaks stand out; In most cases, the acceleration amplification effect on substructures tends to be more evident when the construction site is farther from the fault rupture; On the other hand, the acceleration response of substructures can be effectively reduced with an appropriate increase in the mass ratio of the main-sub structure and the damping ratio of the substructures; However, the frequency ratio of the main-sub structure has no discernible effect on the floor response spectra. This study investigates the characteristics of the floor response spectrum of the novel timber-concrete structure, which supports the future applications of such hybrid structure in high-rise buildings.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2023

Typical floor systems in contemporary tall buildings consist of reinforced concrete or composite metal deck over framing members and account for a majority of the structural weight of the building. The use of high-density materials, such as reinforced concrete and steel, increases the weight of floor systems, reducing the system's overall efficiency. With the introduction of high-performance materials, mainly mass timber products, and fiber-reinforced composites, in the construction industry, designers and engineers have multiple options to choose from when selecting structural materials. This paper discusses the application of mass timber and carbon fiber composites as structural materials in floor systems of tall buildings. The research focused on a comparative analysis of the structural system efficiency for five different design options for tall building floor systems. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method was adopted to develop a simulation framework, and parametric structural models were simulated to evaluate the structural performance under specific loading conditions. Simulation results revealed the advantages of lightweight structural materials to improve system efficiency and reduce material consumption. The impact of mechanical properties of materials, loading conditions, and issues related to fire engineering and construction were briefly discussed, and future research topics were identified in conclusion.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.426-432
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• 2013

Fire resistance and impact sound insulation tests were performed for a floor assembly, of which stiffness was reinforced by shortening the span of floor joists by installing glulam beam additionally in the middle or one thirds of the original span, and which an additional ceiling component was installed apart from floor structure. By applying the isolated ceiling, timber framed floor showed 1 hour of fire resistance even in case that dead load was increased by considering cement mortar layer for radiant floor heating. Insulation performance against light and heavy impact sound was improved significantly by applying the sound absorbing layer of big mass and high elasticity in addition to the stiffness improvement and isolated ceiling.