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G. Hochreiner, G. Eßer, G. Styhler-Aydin:
"Methods of Modern Timber Engineering in the Context of Historical Timber Structures";
in: "CD-ROM Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2016)", J. Eberhardsteiner, W. Winter, A. Fadai, M. Pöll (ed.); issued by: Vienna University of Technology; Grafisches Zentrum HTU GmbH, Vienna, 2016, ISBN: 978-3-903039-00-1, Paper ID 1063, 9 pages.

The historic roof structures of the Vienna Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, have been the subject of a systematic documentation by experts and students of the Vienna University of Technology since 2011. The geometrical and historical findings have been compiled into an extensive documentation. In the first stage of the project, the structural assessment was estimated without any backup or validation by detailed structural modeling. Although in the past, the design of timber structures was driven mainly by tradition and experience, the approach is now supported by the availability of powerful engineering software tools. On the one hand these tools are needed to overcome shortcomings in the current timber design code (EN 1995:2004, EC 5) by extensive numerical modeling, and on the other hand, the geometrical complexity and superposition of statically undetermined subsystems can only be assessed efficiently using modern engineering software. Parameter studies including the variation of joint stiffness permit estimation of the domain of possible and realistic distributions of internal forces. Numerical realizations of worst-case scenarios provide valuable data for a risk-based assessment.

[no german version] The historic roof structures of the Vienna Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, have been the subject of a systematic documentation by experts and students of the Vienna University of Technology since 2011. The geometrical and historical findings have been compiled into an extensive documentation. In the first stage of the project, the structural assessment was estimated without any backup or validation by detailed structural modeling. Although in the past, the design of timber structures was driven mainly by tradition and experience, the approach is now supported by the availability of powerful engineering software tools. On the one hand these tools are needed to overcome shortcomings in the current timber design code (EN 1995:2004, EC 5) by extensive numerical modeling, and on the other hand, the geometrical complexity and superposition of statically undetermined subsystems can only be assessed efficiently using modern engineering software. Parameter studies including the variation of joint stiffness permit estimation of the domain of possible and realistic distributions of internal forces. Numerical realizations of worst-case scenarios provide valuable data for a risk-based assessment.

timber engineering, structural analysis software, parameter study, historical timber structures