Projects
On the TREE/e platform, projects are organised into three categories that reflect their stage of development.
Open projects are opportunities that are currently available for students or researchers to join. These projects provide a direct way for students to contribute to ongoing research and design challenges.
Ongoing projects represent work that is already in progress. These projects involve active collaborations between researchers, students, and often industry partners. These entries provide insight into current activities within TREE/e and illustrate how ideas develop over time and offer inspiration for future contributions.
Closed projects are those that have been successfully completed. They form an important knowledge base, showcasing results and reports. By exploring these projects, visitors can gain a clear understanding of the impact of TREE/e’s work and the progression of research themes over time.
If you are interested in timber research, but you can’t find a suitable thesis in our list: please feel free to propose your own idea to us.
Topic
Discipline
Type
Closed
Fire behaviour of wooden facades with bio-based coatings
This study evaluated three bio-based coatings (Kaumera, Xyhlo Biofinish and Mycelium) for improving fire safety of spruce facades. Kaumera and Xyhlo delayed ignition and reduced fire development, while Mycelium showed potential but durability concerns. Bio-based coatings can enhance fire performance, but require conventional fire protection measures and further research.
FireBuilding PhysicsExperimental
Open
Reaction to fire of thermally modified wood
Thermally modified wood, while offering benefits like enhanced durability and dimensional stability, generally does not have improved the reaction to fire compared to untreated wood. It may even exhibit increased flammability under certain conditions. The fire performance of thermally modified wood is influenced by factors like the treatment temperature and duration, and the species of wood.
Durability and decayFireBuilding PhysicsExperimental
Open
Smouldering behavior of biobased insulation in separation constructions
When biobased insulation is used in a separation construction, protected by one or two plasterboards on the side of the fire compartment, the insulation will pyrolyze over a prolonged burning period, potentially leading to a smoldering fire within the insulation. This smoldering fire can persist even after the fire in the adjacent compartment has been extinguished. How long will this smoldering fire continue, and does it pose a risk for further fire spread?
FireBuilding PhysicsExperimental
Open
Influence of biobased materials on the fire resilience of buildings
In most building codes personal safety of building occupants is the main objective. Because in most building codes an evacuation concept is applied in case of fire, a burn down scenario is acceptable, as long as there is enough time for building occupants to evacuate the building. Apparently, fire resilience is not a fire safety objective in the building code.
FireBuilding PhysicsDesignNumerical
Closed
A Parametric Framework for Modelling the Influence of Semi-Rigid Connections on Unbraced Timber Gridshell Behaviour
How do connection details influence the behaviour of timber gridshells? This research investigates how the rotational stiffness of steel-timber knife-plate connections affects the global structural performance of timber gridshells. Through extensive parametric analyses, the study demonstrates that semi-rigid connection behaviour can significantly influence stiffness, load distribution, and structural efficiency. The findings provide designers with valuable insights for optimizing timber gridshell structures, bridging the gap between connection-level mechanics and the performance of complex timber shell systems.
InnovationStructuralNumerical
Ongoing
Experimental and numerical investigation of damping behavior in CLT floors under real building conditions
This project investigates the damping behaviour of CLT floors in real buildings to improve predictions of human-induced vibration performance. Through extensive on-site measurements at different construction stages and comparison with numerical models, it aims to better understand damping effects, reduce unnecessary overdesign, and support more efficient, comfortable, and sustainable timber floor structures.
VibrationsStructuralExperimentalNumerical
Ongoing
Mass Optimization of Vibration Sensitive Hollow Timber Floors
This project investigates how mass can be optimally distributed within lightweight hollow timber floors to improve vibration comfort while minimizing material use. Using Lignatur floor systems and spring–mass–damper models, the research analyses human-induced vibrations and evaluates the effectiveness of integrated masses and dampers. The goal is to develop efficient, sustainable long-span timber floors that satisfy serviceability and occupant comfort requirements.
VibrationsStructuralNumerical
Open
Edge as timber dome
Dome structures are highly efficient in their use of structural materials. For larger spans, steel is often the material of choice, as demonstrated by The Edge. This raises the question of whether such a structure could instead be realised in timber. What are the key challenges that would need to be overcome? Would the design require modification? To what extent would timber shrinkage affect the structural behaviour? Could the structure be erected without the use of temporary supports?
Building SystemsInnovationArchitecturalExecutionStructuralDesignNumerical
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