Mass Timber Connection Design AI
AI design of connections for mass timber structural systems.
Definition
Mass Timber Connection Design AI optimizes the design of connections for CLT, glulam, and other mass timber structural systems. It handles complex geometry, ensures adequate fire performance, and creates efficient connections that meet both structural and aesthetic requirements.
In Depth
Mass timber connections are the critical engineering challenge in timber construction because wood has different structural properties in different grain directions — strong parallel to grain, weak perpendicular to grain. AI designs connections that transfer forces efficiently while respecting the material's directional properties.
Connection types include concealed steel plates with dowel-type fasteners, self-tapping screws, glued-in rods, and proprietary connectors. AI evaluates each option for the specific loading conditions — gravity loads, lateral forces, uplift — and the geometric constraints of the connection. The design must satisfy both the connection capacity requirements and the fire-resistance requirements, since exposed mass timber connections may need to maintain structural integrity during a fire exposure.
Examples
Designing beam-column connections
Optimizing concealed connections
Analyzing fire performance
Nomic Use Cases
See how Nomic applies this in production AEC workflows:
Frequently Asked Questions
Mass Timber Connection Design AI optimizes the design of connections for CLT, glulam, and other mass timber structural systems. It handles complex geometry, ensures adequate fire performance, and creates efficient connections that meet both structural and aesthetic requirements.
Designing beam-column connections. Optimizing concealed connections. Analyzing fire performance.
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