Edinburgh Napier University

  Throughout the U.K, Timber Platform Frame is increasingly being utilized in the high volume, low cost housing market. Here, the client’s desire for fully detached housing often leads to narrow properties with openings concentrated in the shorter wall. This can cause design considerations since the number of full height wall panels deemed to give resistance to racking forces is reduced. In order to achieve the required racking resistance, remedial measures such as the application of additional sheathing,improvement of the sheathing fixityand eventhe use of steel portal frames, are often employed. Whilst these measures can be considered structurally effective they can also lead to the overspecification of materials resulting in a decrease in overall project efficiency. In order to preventthis, research is currently being carried outat Edinburgh Napier Universityinto the development of a series of racking solutions which areoptimized in terms of performance, installation and cost.