Abstract

Achieving net-zero carbon emissions is the new target for a sustainable built environment and requires concrete and timely actions among different professional bodies in our community. The current focus is on better buildings using low-carbon materials and on the development of new standardized products and advanced building technologies. In this talk, new design strategies for structural forms implemented for long-span and cantilevered tall applications will be discussed, focusing on hybrid combinations of timber with steel and timber with other biomaterials. Hybrid systems with light components and composite cross-sections will be reviewed, offering alternative methods, including connection solutions that maximize construction speed, enhance structural performance, and reduce off-site manufacturing costs. Results from several ongoing projects, including tests on full-scale elements, their subcomponents, and connections under different loading scenarios, will be reviewed and summarized. From mechanics to modeling, including manufacturing constraints, the engineering aspects of such hybrid solutions will also be elucidated.