Life Timber for All Project: Industrializing structures combining wood and concrete
Life Timber for All focuses on the development of a family of hybrid industrialized structural systems made of wood and concrete, which will integrate low-carbon concrete made from biomass ash and certified local wood from sustainable forest management. These systems not only aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared to precast concrete structures, but also to store carbon long-term. The project also includes certifications and digital passports (DPPs) for the new products.
Regulatory situation of a new type of glued laminated timber
After consulting the experts of the European Commission, it has been confirmed that the harmonised standard EN 14080 is not valid to obtain the CE mark for a new type of glued laminated timber that researchers are developing. Therefore, it will be necessary to resort to the European Technical Assessments route, and ITeC will have to prepare a European Assessment Document (EAD) compatible with the nature of the new glulam variant.
Assessment of an alternative supplier of one of the components of a CE-marked intumescent coating
The manufacturer of a coating for passive fire protection of steel structures has decided to substitute the provider of the chemical component that is responsible of the intumescence properties of the product. Since the coating is already CE-marked, the company has asked ITeC to assess the alternative component to make sure that the product performance remains the same. If the new supplier is validated, the change will be registered in the Factory Production Control documents related to the CE mark of the coating.
Analysis of building solutions for blockwork with cellular concrete blocks
Autoclaved aerated concrete blocks are regulated by the harmonized standard EN 771-4, but it merely defines the technical characteristics these products must meet, without addressing the correct method of building walls with them. Since this is a critical issue for these blocks, one manufacturer has requested ITeC to document appropriate building solutions for the different intended uses of these blocks.
Compliance check of a project for a municipal facility against the Spanish Structural Code
The new 2021 Structural Code has come into force shortly after a city council received the construction project for remodelling a cultural facility, which has forced last-minute changes. The city council has requested ITeC to perform a technical check to ensure that the final project complies with the Code.
Groundwork for virtual testing of a range of modular expansion joints for road bridges
The assessment of such an expansion joint requires, among other things, to elaborate a 3-D Finite Element (FE) model of the joint to identify its dynamic behaviour: natural frequencies, section forces and bending moments. The manufacturer has asked ITeC to specify the requirements of the FE model to make sure that is in conformity with EAD 120113-01-0107 ‘Modular expansion joints for road bridges’.
Validation of composite steel-concrete slabs
Although composite steel-concrete slabs have design standards, manufacturers of these building solutions face difficulties in presenting them to the market as coherent systems and in documenting the optimal technical criteria for their proper execution. The developers of a new roof system with lightweight infill blocks have requested that ITeC demonstrate that it meets the requirements of the Spanish Building Code and the EU Construction Products Regulation regarding structural performance, fire safety, and thermal and acoustic insulation.
Protocol for testing earth anchors for slopes
Drafting of a set of laboratory test specifications for earth anchors for slopes, modelled on the EN 795 standard. A test will be carried out in order to verify whether the protocol adequately covers all the installation details of the anchors, the measuring instruments and load application.
Structural performance of a support system for photovoltaic panels
The manufacturer of a construction system for installing photovoltaic panels on flat roofs needs to verify that it behaves adequately under wind pressure, wind suction and snow loads. The test plan has taken into account that the support elements are designed to set the panels at angles between 10° and 45°, which significantly influences the amount of stress on the system.
Evaluation of a timber construction system for multi-storey buildings
A company has developed a construction system for multi-storey buildings consisting of timber beams, columns, floors and walls which are joined together using adhesives, while mechanical fasteners are only required temporally during the construction process. Although there are European Assessment Documents (EADs) for timber components and kits, the specificity of this new system means that they cannot be used to obtain the CE marking. ITeC has been consulted to find alternatives.
