This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Miklós Iványi, who instilled in the authors
an appreciation for experimental investigations, which are foundational to understanding
material and structural behavior. Timber-concrete composite structures are increasingly
adopted for new buildings due to their favorable sustainability parameters and the
increased availability of cross laminated timber. For larger spans, however, solid
timber floors lead to higher timber volumes and the use of glulam beams may become
necessary for a more efficient use of wood. This paper presents laboratory tests of
glulam-concrete composite beams and is the first in a series of two papers on investigating
the associated failure mechanisms. Three full-scale glulam-concrete beam specimens
were studied. The glulam and concrete are monolithically interconnected using a continuous
layer of adhesive. Shear reinforcement was added to the glulam beams to allow for
failure mode control. Static load tests to failure were conducted along with acoustic
emission monitoring to track the progression of the failure. The results indicate
that the shear reinforcement of the glulam layer affects the load capacity of the
composite beam through shifting the failure from a shear to a tension failure mode.
Similar glulam-concrete beams can enable larger span applications for buildings and
bridges while maintaining an attractive sustainability performance.
