End-Grain Plug Reinforcement for Timber Panel Crushing Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for constructing taller buildings using timber face challenges such as the need for large wooden columns that can withstand significant weight and the difficulty in joining wooden construction components, particularly due to the mismatch in material properties between wood and metal fasteners.
Innovation Solution
The development of a bundled tube column system using a combination of pillars with varying lengths, where the column is formed by combining smaller pillars, and the use of threaded stepped dowels for secure fastening, allowing for the creation of taller structures and improved structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If platform construction is used with side-grain wood panels, then construction simplicity is improved, but crushing strength is insufficient (500 psi)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by inserting end-grain wood plugs into specific locations of side-grain wood panels where compression strength is needed. The plugs are placed at panel locations subject to compression from superstructure elements, providing localized strength enhancement without changing the entire panel's grain orientation or construction method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite wood structure by combining side-grain wood panels with end-grain wood plugs. The plugs are inserted into pre-drilled holes in the panels, forming a composite element that leverages the compression strength of end-grain wood (5,000-7,000 psi) while maintaining the structural integrity of the side-grain panel system.
2Strength
If metal fasteners are used to join wooden components, then joining strength is improved, but material compatibility deteriorates (fundamentally different material properties)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by using wood plugs made from the same or similar wood material as the main structural components. This ensures compatible material properties, thermal expansion characteristics, and aesthetic appearance, eliminating the material incompatibility issue present when using metal fasteners in wooden structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The wood plugs serve as intermediary elements between the side-grain wood panels and the superstructure elements. They provide a material-compatible interface that transfers loads effectively while maintaining material consistency throughout the wooden structure, avoiding the material mismatch problem of metal-wood connections.
3Strength
If larger wooden columns are created to support taller buildings, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the column structure into multiple smaller side-grain wood panels that are manufactured separately and then assembled vertically. Each panel can be produced using standard manufacturing processes, and the panels are connected using metal connectors to form a continuous column structure capable of supporting taller buildings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite column structures by combining side-grain wood panels with metal connectors and end-grain wood plugs. This composite approach allows the column to achieve the load-bearing capacity of larger solid wood columns while maintaining the manufacturing advantages of smaller, standardized panel components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for increasing a crush strength of a panel. The system having a panel being made from side-grain wood, a bore that extends partly or completely through the panel, and a plug made from end-grain wood. Because end-grain wood has a significantly higher crush strength per square inch than side-grain wood, a topical crush strength of the panel can be increased through the use of the plug. The plug can further be provided with a hollow portion to be used with a thread stepped dowel comprising of a base section, at least one middle section, and a tip section, with each section being progressively smaller in circumference than the last. The at least one middle section of the threaded stepped dowel further comprises thread spiraling around the outer surface of the at least one middle section.