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Baudoux_18311800_2025.pdf
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- Multi-storey buildings are indispensable in modern life, serving as residences, offices, and educational institutions. However, the construction sector is a significant contributor to climate change. Wood, with its exceptional environmental properties, offers a sustainable alternative to conventional materials like concrete and steel. Yet, its widespread adoption is hindered by higher costs. A potential solution lies in minimizing processing by using locally machined debarked circular logs. This approach presents another challenge: the complexity of designing wood-wood assemblies, which often necessitates costly experimental campaigns. This master’s thesis explores the development of simplified numerical models for wood-wood assemblies to predict load transfer behaviour. While achieving a fully accurate numerical representation of wood requires further research, this work contributes progress by leveraging the commercial finite element software Abaqus. Elastic properties and orthotropic behaviour of wood are modelled, and material model comparisons are conducted to help users navigate the software. Key focus areas include the study of contact rules, tolerance challenges, and simplified modelling of wood's non-linearities. The methodology is designed to be accessible for engineers and researchers with limited numerical modelling expertise. The final numerical model is tested using a pull-out test on a complex wood-wood assembly, with experimental results for comparison. Despite its simplicity, the model captures certain fracture modes and approximates the progressive loss of strength and final failure reasonably well. Limitations include the inability to accurately model crack behaviour under tension and the need for calibrated elastic and plastic parameters specific to the tested wood. Future improvements could enhance the model’s accuracy and applicability in practical settings.