Congratulations to Elisabet Kuck on successfully defending her doctoral thesis! In her doctoral thesis titled "Failure Behaviour of Fasteners in Timber Connections – Testing Approaches for Laterally Loaded Dowel-Type Fasteners" she investigated the load‑bearing behaviour and failure mechanisms of laterally loaded dowel‑type fasteners in softwood and hardwood. Using innovative experimental setups and advanced measurement techniques, she analysed differences in deformation behaviour, focusing on plastic hinge formation and localisation, as well as bending angles. By capturing the stress state under load and investigating tension–shear interaction, critical regions prone to fastener cross‑section failure were identified, and approaches for accounting for internal force interaction were derived. The results provide a foundation for extended and safer design concepts for hardwood connections in structural timber engineering.
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New research on the buckling of fully threaded screws in timber, in collaboration with Roberto Tomasi and Philipp Dietsch, examines how these screws behave under compression. Over 150 single screws were tested at NMBU (Norwegian University of Life Sciences) and KIT Timber Structures and Building Construction, varying diameter, length, insertion angle, density and moisture content (12 % vs 18 %). Results show that high density greatly increases buckling resistance, while moisture has little effect; a 5° inclination is harmless, 10° causes moderate loss; length is irrelevant for slender screws.
Download link to paper:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.142610
Under the motto "Timber structures – research for practice", we want to continue the long-standing and intensive exchange between science and practice – with new insights, an outlook on standardisation and plenty of room for discussion.
A first glimpse into the programme. The following presentations have already been confirmed:
- Force interaction (M-N-V) in fasteners, e.g. in hardwood
- Stiffness of screwed connections, e.g. in truss girders
- Design of connections according to the new Eurocode 5
- Earthquake design of timber structures according to the new Eurocode 8
- Robustness of timber structures – Innovations in Eurocode 5 and Swiss guidelines
- Moisture protection on construction sites – experiences, measurements and recommendations
- KARLA – Planning and execution of the 90-metre-high timber hybrid building
Further information on the programme and registration will follow here in March 2026.
We, KIT Timber Structures and Building Construction, are currently looking for an experienced person to join our secretarial team who enjoys a wide range of tasks, including:
- Independent and autonomous management of the institute's secretarial office
- International communication and correspondence
- Organisation of conferences and other events for the institute
- And much more ...
If you have completed commercial training (e.g. office management assistant, administrative assistant) or have comparable training or demonstrable knowledge at the appropriate level, then we would be delighted to receive your application.
For further information, please refer to the official KIT job advertisement.
The 12th INTER Meeting was an unforgettable event - for the first time the meeting was hosted in Turkey from 24-28 August.
On the historic campus of Yildiz Technical University and amidst the warmth and hospitality of our Turkish colleagues, 66 scientists from 16 countries from four continents came together to exchange ideas and explore new insights to advance standardisation for timber construction.
Many thanks to all participants and to our hosts for the excellent organisation!
Extensive literature research and two years of field research form the basis of construction principles, recommendations and illustrative descriptions for preventive constructional measures in wood preservation. These are intended to sensitise, inspire and contribute to the responsible implementation and expansion of preventive structural timber protection in accordance with DIN 68800-2. The report offers practical guiding details and graphically reduced illustrations derived from positive and negative experiences with timber structures. The aim is to strengthen the discourse, support standardisation processes and establish prevention as a design principle - with the aim of reducing cost-intensive aftercare in the long term.
This research project was commissioned and financed by the Ministerium für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen Baden-Württemberg.
At the end of the 2025 summer semester, 13 architecture and civil engineering students in four interdisciplinary teams presented their structural designs for the PLAY! Indoors - Temporary multi-purpose hall in timber construction. They presented their concepts in a compact final presentation and discussed them with their supervisors and the examiners Prof Dietsch and Prof La Magna. In addition to plans in DIN A0 format, physical models on a scale of 1:200 and a node detail on a scale of 1:1 were created and discussed. The quality of the work was a reflection of the in-depth examination of design, construction and detailing. We would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and successful collaboration!
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We are pleased to announce two new additions to this series:
Book No. 39 - "Timber fasteners: a study on input parameters for the design of timber joints" by Carmen Sandhaas This book presents a detailed analysis of strength parameters of screws and nails, highlighting challenges in standardization of these products due to the wide variety of screw types and properties. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d3qtqjbZ
Book No.40 - "A Contribution to Friction in Timber Connections" by Simon Aurand This publication examines surface modifications of steel and timber members, demonstrating their impact on load-carrying capacities of connections, particularly those with inclined screws. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dX7Xn4UD
Reference book
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