A building soon to be constructed in Nelson will be the first in the world using a new timber flooring system designed by University of Canterbury structural engineering experts with huge potential benefits for the Christchurch rebuild and for the whole country.
The new university-designed flooring system, pre-stressed prefabricated panel in timber (3PT), consists of a combination of structural materials offering light engineered timber, cost-effective concrete anchorage and high strength pre-stressed or post-tensioned reinforcement.
“What makes this flooring system unique is the concrete anchorage and the connectors. Prefabrication and pre-stressing are key aspects that make the product novel. The cost-effectiveness of the flooring system is it can be pre-stressed by using the same facilities used for pre-stressed concrete flooring systems,” Dr Palermo says.
Professor Pampanin says a building in Nelson will shortly install the flooring system and several prototypes have already been tested and performed much better than traditional timber flooring systems.
Newsletter Image credit: University of Canterbury