SBIR-STTR Award

The ready-to-assemble (RTA) construction system is a new method for assembling wood structures built from the following engineered wood products: parallel strand lumber (PSL), laminated strand lumber (LSL), and laminated veneer lumber (LVL). The RTA system is designed for rapid assembly by small crews of unskilled labor using common hand tools. The design of the RTA system incorporates engineered woods attributes of strength, stiffness, straightness, and dimensional stability thereby maximizing the efficient utilization of the existing wood resource base. Integral to the system is a mechanical fastener that laminates wood members and provides a mechanism to connect the laminated members into a structural framing system. The existing data on the new RTA connection system suggests that the connector has over twice the strength of nailed or bolted connections that have similar cross-sectional areas to the RTA connector. The objectives of this project are: to develop a performance database for the RTA system through empirical testing, to analyze the test data and derive strength and stiffness values of the connector, and to design an RTA system for use in economic comparisons of competing construction methods.Applications:The RTA system represents two important advantages for the wood construction industry: 1) It uses a connector capable of transmitting higher loads than traditionally used nails or bolts between either solid-sawn or engineered wood products 2) The RTA system reduces costs through factory fabrication of building components, and on-site assembly by small crews of unskilled labor, equipped with common hand tools. Potential markets include: residential structures and additions, export housing, temporary housing for disaster relief victims, agricultural buildings, and backyard buildings (garden sheds, garages, workshops, storage buildings) for the do-it-yourself (DIY) market.

The goal of this project is to develop a Ready-To-Assemble (RTA) construction system that uses solid sawn lumber or engineered woods products. The RTA system reduces construction costs through material efficiencies and rapid assembly by small crews of unskilled labors. A critical barrier to implementing RTA systems is acceptance by the model building codes. This project proposes to develop empirical data for use in obtaining building code approval. The proposed Phase II research builds on Phase I results by developing data to analyze and optimize RTA designs in terms of cost, performance, and constructability. Computer modeling of the RTA connector and structures with commercially available finite element analysis software will be used in the optimization procedure. System performance will be evaluated through emperical testing of individual joints, full scale building components, and small full-scale buildings. With building code approval, a methodology to predict structural performance, cost savings through material efficiencies, and an improved method of assembly, the RTA system will be an efficient, economically competitive building system.Applications:Initial application of the RTA construction system is for small-scale residential outbuildings such as garages, utility sheds, and home offices. With minor modifications these same structures could be marketed as low-cost housing to developing countries. Proven performance in small-scale buildings will open the residential housing market to the RTA system. The simplicity and cost efficiencies of the RTA system make it ideally suited for the do-it-yourselfer (DIY), general contractors, governmental agencies and housing corporations such as Habitat for Humanity International, Federation for Appalachian Housing Enterprises and Virginia Mountain Housing.