Investigation of Punching Shear in Cross Laminated Timber

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade, transitioning from use in small-scale residential structures to large-scale, tall buildings. Unlike other construction materials, CLT exhibits unique behavior due to its orthotropic nature, prompting numerous studies aimed at understanding its structural characteristics. This study specifically examines the punching shear behavior of CLT. To analyze the critical area and punching shear in CLT, 3D orthotropic elastic and damage models of CLT were developed using finite element software ANSYS. The model's effectiveness was validated against existing experimental and numerical studies. Additionally, a parametric study was conducted on 3-layer to 9-layer CLT panels, resulting in the development of a parameter to more accurately assess punching shear in CLT.