Yue Wang has received an IAWS award for excellence in PhD research
Timber engineering meets wood science
Dr. Yue Wang, KTH Building Materials, was recently awarded by the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) with third place in the 2024 Doctoral Dissertation Prize. This is a prestigious award given once a year in recognition of excellence in doctoral research related to wood and fiber science and technology.
The thesis, entitled 'Mechanical connections using birch plywood as gusset plates in timber structures,' investigates the technique of using plywood to connect timber members like glued laminated timber (glulam) beams for medium and long-span timber structures. The conventional use of steel gusset plates in timber connections increases the structure's environmental impact. Wood-based connections could, in this case, be ideal substitutes. In this doctoral thesis this concept was more specifically studied by adopting birch plywood as gusset plates. In addition to the expected lower carbon footprint, such connection systems were shown to have promising structural engineering properties, and also improved workability. This idea also promotes the structural use of birch, which in Sweden is usually used as firewood and pulp fibers.
In summary, this research work shows a good example of a successful combination between timber engineering and wood material science to develop new types of wood-based connection systems for larger timber structures.
The doctoral thesis was defended in May 2024 and was supervised by Adjunct Professor Roberto Crocetti and Professor Magnus Wålinder at KTH ABE School, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Division of Building Materials.
Link to Yue’s Doctoral Thesis: Mechanical connections using birch plywood as gusset plates in timber structures