Research
Timber hybrids: notes from three test frames
Our research lab built three 1:2 frames to test timber floors on concrete cores. Two worked. The third taught us more.
Written by
Sofia Matos
Timber floors on a concrete core promise lower carbon and faster assembly, but the joint between the two materials is where projects stall.
We built three test frames at half scale in the courtyard of the Lisbon studio. Two used steel connectors that are already on the market. The third used a connector we designed ourselves.
The frame that failed
Our own connector held the load but crept over six weeks of wet weather. The data changed how we detail every timber-to-concrete joint, and it is published in full in our research notes.