Composite panels of cold-formed steel and timber for high-density construction

Timber and cold-formed steel are primary materials in the construction of temporary, emergency and informal settlements worldwide. This is because these materials are widely available, can be cut and fixed with hand tools and their light weight makes them easily transportable and manually erectable. However, construction with a single skin of cold-formed steel can often lead to a building which is structurally, thermally and acoustically unsound. A composite panel of oriented strand boards and cold-formed steel sheeting is proposed herein, the overall structural behaviour of which is investigated. Based on experimental results obtained from push-out and flexural tests, the mechanical properties of the employed connectors are determined while the predominant failure modes are highlighted. The feasibility of mobilising composite action between the components of the proposed system is proven while the corresponding derived benefits, both in terms of load carrying capacity and stiffness are quantified. The overall structural performance of the proposed composite panel is shown to substantially improve through harnessing the beneficial influence of composite action, offering the potential to significantly ameliorate the quality of housing in informal developments and rapidly urbanising areas.