Connections for steel-timber hybrid prefabricated buildings. Part I: Experimental tests

Steel-timber hybrid construction systems, in particular structures with steel frames, composite steel-timber floors and shear walls with Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) sheets, combine the industrialized construction technology typical of steel systems with the advantages offered by CLT panels, namely lightness and in-plane stability. The paper proposes some original engineered solutions for joining CLT panels with steel elements. Specifically, it examines connections which allow both prefabrication of the components in the factory and their quick assembly on site. Experimental tests performed on a number of different connections will be presented and discussed. The first Part of the paper addresses some fundamental aspects and potentialities of steel-timber hybrid prefabricated systems. Two innovative steel-timber hybrid components to build floors and shear walls will be described in detail in the companion paper (Part II).