Development of Innovative Connections for Shelf Angels Used in Wood-Framed Building

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The majority of residential houses in Canada are built with wood frames, which carries the loads. Brick veneer is installed on the outer surface of the wood building to provide a brick finish look for a wood-framed house. Brick veneer is a preferred choice by many homeowners because it is maintenance-free, and it offers an elegant appearance and a good insulation medium for the building envelope. Brick veneer also provides improved protection against rain, wind, and fire. Shelf angles are steel C-shaped members mounted on the wood frame of a building to support brick veneer and transfer the load of the brick veneer to the wood frame structure. Installation of shelf angles requires installation of steel fasteners called through bolts which need to pierce through the wood frame into the building envelope creating thermal bridges. These thermal bridges allow internal heat (in winter months) and cool air (in summer months) of the homes to escape to the outside atmosphere and thus, a large portion of the energy used for heating and cooling is lost. This NSERC research will undertake experimental and numerical (computer simulation) studies to develop thermally efficient connections for mounting shelf angles. The goal is to reduce the loss of energy used for heating and cooling our homes and help Canada in achieving the target of net-zero energy buildings and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This research will be executed by two master's students who will be trained in aspects of green masonry construction and environmentally sustainable building envelopes. These two engineering students will work under the supervision of Dr. S. Das at the University of Windsor and Dr. M. Hagel at Alberta Masonry Council. These highly trained and skilled students will be able to bridge the skills gap in Canada.